Human Intervention
by HeroineAtHeart
Summary: COMPLETE: Alexandra Douglas is an agent for ICOSA & her new assignment is to find Michael Corvin and protect him from the lycans. But while in Budapest, she finds the lines between good and evil have blurred and she's no longer sure which side she's on.
1. Default Chapter

**PROLOUGE: Facing the Consequences**

_Budagpest, Hungary - The subway tunnels_

They needed to vacate the tunnels immediately! There were a number of lycans surroudning them; unsure of whether to attack the vampire/lycan hybrid and death dealer or not.

Selene knew the vampires would be coming for her as well. She had killed Viktor; and, no matter what Viktor had done, Marcus wouldn't let his death go unpunished. And if she was correct, Kraven had somehow managed to escape this mess unscathed; with no one the wiser about his conspiracy with Lucian. He would be filling Marcus' head with more lies and deceptions.

But, there would be time later to think about all of this, right now, she and Michael were injured and they needed both time and a place to heal. Later, she would think about the vampires and, Michael's transformation. Right now, they needed to concentrate on living long enough to get to that point.

"We need to get out of herer", Michael said looking at the shapeshifters growing restless around him.

"I'm up for suggestions", she replied quietly, keeping a distrustful eye on the growing number of lycans.

She and Michael were standing back to back; watching the shapeshifters that now filled the upper level of the chamber.

"I say let's get out of here first, then we can figure out where to go", he suggested.

"Agreed", Selene concurred.

They slowly made their way to the room where just minutes earlier, Selene had converted Michael into the creature he had now become. Fortunately, the lycans made no move to follow them.

Once they were in the room, Michael caught sight of Lucian's prone body lying on the floor. He went to the deceased shapeshifter's side and dropped to his knees. "He was trying to stop this madness", he said aloud.

Selene stood close by and looked at the once powerful Lycan leader. "Maybe, she said. "But whatever his intentions were, they have now only made the situation worse. Michael, we need to leave", she reminded him, gently touching his shoulder. "It will only be a matter of time before the vampires send out more death dealers; and, I don't want to be here when they arrive."

Knowing she was right, he stole one last look at Lucian before he stood to leave. He wasn't sure how he felt about his change, but he was curious as to what skills and strengths he may develop. Unfortunately, the one man that could have helped him was lost now, forever.

He would have to figure this out for himself. Well, he and Selene. They were a team; the outcome of this battle left them little choice. But together, he was sure they could find the answers.

Grabbing her hand, they made their way through the carnage and up to the subway level. Knowing sunrise was on its way, they quickly vacated the area and looked for a suitable hiding place.


	2. Chapter 01 A Challenge On The Horizon

**CHAPTER ONE: Duty Calls**

_**Present day, United States**_

She could hear a phone ringing somewhere in the back of her sleep deprived mind. Praying it was a wrong number, she coverd her head with her pillow. Distantly, she could hear the answering machine pick up. She momentarily lifted her head, listening for a voice, but no message was left. Happy to get back to sleep, she rolled over and snuggled closer to her pillow. However, her reprieve was short lived, as the phone began ringing again. Knowing she wasn't lucky enough for this to be some kid playing a prank, Alexandra Douglas reached over and grabbed the phone.

Silently cursing at the rude person interupting her dreams, she barked out in her husky voice, "This had better be important." She didn't even bother opening her eyes. She was determined that whomever it was wasn't getting her full attention until she was able to get a decent nights sleep.

"Agent Douglas?", a man asked in a clipped, British accent.

Sighing, she sat up. When someone called asking for Agent Douglas in the middle of the night, it wasn't a good. Her sleep was distrubed for the remainder of the night.

"Yeah, you got her", she answered with a yawn.

Opening her eyes, she glanced at the clock on the bedside table; and saw it was 2:17 am. Great, she'd been in bed for a total of three hours. Vaguely, she realized the gentleman on the line was still speaking. Knowing she needed to at least make an effort to keep up with the ongoing conversation, Alex concentrated a little harder.

"Agent Douglas, the Council has been made awaree of an incident that has occured. We feel this is an assignment that would best be handled by someone with your level of expertise", he explained.

"What kind of incident, and who am I speaking with?", Alex asked. There were forty other operatives available: why did the Council have to call her?

"Oh, I do apologize", came the slightly stilted reply. "Let me introduce myself, I am Sir William Grey, a British representative from the Council", he informed her with a slight air of superiority. "When the Council was made aware of the current situation, your name was the first one considered for the job. I was appointed Council liason for you and your team members", he finished explaining.

Grey was not a name she was familiar with, but she would verify it later; after she found out what was going on. "So, Sir William, is the Council aware of the fact, that I completed my last assignment not 5 hours ago?" she inquired.

Again apologetic he replied, "Yes, it's unfortunate that we have to contact you again so soon; but, the situation is somewhat, dire. Thomas McMillan recommended you for this mission; saying you were the best person for the job. He assured me that once you knew the details concerning this assignment, you would jump at the chance to head up a team", he replied emphatically.

Alex had been on the phone now for almost five minutes; and, she still had no idea as to what was going on. This man was gonna have to get to the point soon, if he expected her to stay on the line. Striving for patience she asked, "Okay...so what is it that requires my immediate attention?"

Nervously, Sir William cleared his throat before he responded, "Yes, well, there has been a confrontation between the lycans and vampires."

Oookay, nothing earth shattering, Alex thought. There was always confrontations going on between the two species. She sat there in her bed waiting for him to explain further.

After a few moments of silence, he realized she wasn't commenting.

"Agent Douglas, are you there?" he inquired.

Taking a deep breath she counted to ten and then answered, "Yes, Sir William, I'm waiting for you to continue."

"Oh, right then. Well, um, it has come to our attention that a human was injured in the skirmish; taking a bullet to the shoulder I believe. There was a vampire shot as well. He paused again, as if waiting for her to say something.

Unbelievable! This man would not get to the point. She was close to hanging up on the Brit; she didn't care if he was a Council member or not!

"Sir William", she began willing herself to be pleasant. "I'm sure you're very good at your job; but, I am tired. I suggest you start filling me on the details or let me go. One way or the other, I have every intention of going back to sleep as soon as I hang up this phone." She paused for a moment, pulling herself together before she continued, "Look, I'm not trying to be rude, but so far, all the information you have imparted tells me that any rookie agent on the Council's payroll could go out there and contain the situation. I haven't been told one thing that leads me to believe Thomas would suggest you call me to head up this assingment", she finsihed exasperated. Her patience level waning fast.

Alexs' comments and warning was greeted witha brief silence. She assumed she had insulted the British gentleman. She had been short with him; and, normally she was very patient and accomodating. But here lately, that wasn't always the case.

She had begun taking on more and more assignments by herself. She realized that working with no one else wasn't always a good thing. She was working on burn out. She was tired of saving the world, at least for the time being; that's what it boiled down to. Tamping down her anger and impatience, she waited for Sir William to finish his explanation.

"Agent Douglas, I apologize yet again. I have handled this situation extirely incorrectly. But I promise to try and explain the Councils concerns", Sir William began. "Our data shows that the lycans were tracking a human, a male by the name of Michael Corvin, age mid to late 20's. He's an American medical student there in Budapest. The lycans were following this Mr. Corvin and seemed ready to apprehend him, when three death dealers followed them into the subway. Suddenly, the lycans started firing, and the vampires returned their fire with weapons of their own. A human female was caught in the crossfire; and was hit with a stray bullet. We're told that Michael Corvin began administering first aid to the wounded woman. One of the vampires was then hit by the lycans weapon. It is stated that upon impact, the vampire began emitting a bright blue light that could be seen from within the wound as well as various other parts of his body. Then he burned to death in front of every human at the station. While this was happening, another vampire and lycan were physically fighting on the train itself and then proceeded to throw themselves out the train windows as they continued fighting deep in the subway tunnels. The third death dealer, went after a shapeshifter she herself had already injured.

He paused for a moment letting all of that sink in, and then he quietly asked, "Do you understand our concern?"

Well, that certainly got her attention! "You're saying that one of the vampires began burning once it was hit with the lycan's bullet", she asked for verification.

She could hear papers shuffling as Sir William began looking for confirmation of this fact,

"Yes", he said, "Here it is. It says the lycans fired upon the vampires, hitting one of the males which then seemed to burst into blue light and burn to ashes"

Now wide awake, Alex said thoughtfully, "You do know what this means, don't you?" Without waiting for an answer she continued, "The lycans have somehow obtained access to our ultraviolet ammunition. Which means they either stole the technology, or someone provided them with it. Damnit!", she finished, cursing att he recent turn of events.

"Good, you do understand our concern", Sir William, commented. "There are a few other things the Council feels you should be made aware of", he added. "The reigning vampires in this ara are convening for an awakening and there are the usual rumors of Lucian sightings", he said finishing with all the details he had been given.

"There are always Lucian sightings, especially in that area. It's been that way for hundreds of years, Sir William. But there has never been any concrete proof of his existence", Alex noted somewhat absently. Her mind was already turning over the information she had just learned.

We are aware of this, Agent Douglas", Sir willima replied haughtily.

Great, she had offended him again.

He continued, "But the Council decided you should be aware of all that was noted in the report. And, the Council has also deduced that they Lycans are up to something big, something involving humans. This report state that not only were the werewolves following Michael Corvin, there seemed to be an unusally high number of recent disappearances in the area. But most importantly, is the fact that the lycans are willing to take great risks to keep the vampires ignorant of the interst in these humans, Mr. Corvin in particular. The Council believs the lycan attack was not a random act of violence, perpetrated by low ranking individuals. It appears to be a well planned, meticulously thought out operation. Which means someone of extreme power and great intelligence is involved", Sir William concluded.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Alex considered the information she had been given and processed it all. There could be a mole or a leak amongst the Council members, not a pleasant thought. First and foremost, they would need to find out who, if anyone, was involved. There was no way the lycans could have bought that ammo on the black market. It was developed by and strictly for the Council operatives. Secondly, they needed to find and protect Michael Corvin; as well as find out why the lycans were so interested in him.

Thomas had been right; there was no way she could turn down this assignment. Sighing she finally gave Sir William the response he was waiting for, "Okay, I'll take on the mission. but I want to hand pick my team, no questions asked.

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Sir William said, "Whatever you want. We can have an escort available for you whenever you're ready."

"Fine", she said, "Give me 24 hours to round up my team, and we'll meet with you for briefing there in London."

"Excellent Agent Douglas, we do appreciate your loyalty to the cause", Sir William replied.

Before hanging up, she asked, "How many people on the Council are aware of the details concerning this mission?"

"At the moment, myself, Thomas and you", Sir William informed her.

"Good, let's keep it that way", she noted relived it had been kept relatively quiet. "We will need cooperation from the Budapest office, but I don't want them to be given any details on this assignment. Just let them think we're there to do research on the awakening", she instructed Sir William. She had already begun formulating her team and their gam plain in her head. Her sleeplessness already forgotten.


	3. Chapter 02 Reflections

**CHAPTER TWO: Reflections **

Alex hung up the phone, seriously considering an occupation change. But the thought was dismissed as soon as it entered her mind. Granted she was working on burn out; but deep down, she knew she would never give up her job. It was who she was; it was her life. It was exciting, dangerous, and on the edge; not to mention the pay wasn't too bad either. She just needed some serious time off. Whether the Council liked it or not, when this mission was over, she was taking a month long vacation.

She loved being an Agent with I.C.O.S.A., the International Council on Supernatural Affairs. It was everything she had been promised, and more. She had worked long and hard to earn the respect of the Council members and other operatives. And, not a day went by that she wasn't grateful for the opportunity her mentor and friend, Thomas McMillan, had given her.

At the time, she had been a cadet at the FBI Academy. She was the top student in her class and it looked as if she had a very promising career. Her teachers had assured her, she could virtually pick her field of choice and move up within the ranks at an unheard of pace. For an orphan, with nothing or no one to call her own, this was huge.

Then one day, while she was out running errands, she was approached by a very non descript looking gentleman. He was of medium height, around 5'10, had short brown hair, a medium build and wire-rimmed glasses through which shown warm, intelligent brown eyes. She had immediately thought, this was a man that could blend into a crowd and never be noticed.

Anyway, he had presented her with his card as he introduced himself with a small smile and an accent she couldn't quite place. He then asked to speak with her about a possible employment opportunity and wondered if she would like to join him for lunch. Her natural curiosity overwhelmed her and she accepted his invitation. Really, what was there to loose? If nothing else, she at least got a free meal out of it. But, little did she realize how that one meal would change her life.

They had decided on eating at a local deli, which had a sidewalk café outside. Once they were seated, he had waited to speak until after they had ordered. As soon as the waiter left, he immediately asked if she believed in the boogey man. She had laughed and told him there was no such thing; but she did believe in ghosts, did that count?

For what seemed like an eternity, he watched her with a look on his face that was so intense, she felt as if he had crawled inside her skin. Then in the blink of an eye, the look vanished and was replaced with a smile and a laugh. He proceeded to tell her about the people he worked for and how the group had evolved.

Back in the late 1800's, several private individuals had formed a club of sorts. This group was founded for the soul purpose of investigating the supernatural. Through the years, this group managed to discover some amazing information and had kept very detailed records and accounts. Over time, they had centered their efforts on the myths and legends of the vampires and werewolves (he told her that they preferred to be called lycans).

Much was learned about these two very different species. Things like what could honestly hurt them, their life spans, and their various strengths and weaknesses. This group eventually became more than a hobby. It had evolved into a large organization, which had managed to maintain its existence for over 65 years. Their only goal was to determine the truth about these species and to document it. Yes, they had lost members throughout its history, especially when they got too close to the specimens. But, they all considered this to be worth the knowledge they had obtained.

Then around 1967, one of the younger members lost both his parents and siblings during a skirmish between the lycans and vampires. He alone had survived the attack, and was determined to make sure innocent humans were no longer prey for these monsters. He was smart and his family had had plenty of old money; therefore, it wasn't long before he was searching out sources and funding from some very high places. He slowly made his way to the government, where he found a very willing supporter in a member of the United Nations. Within 8 years, an international committee (or the Council, as they liked to be called) was formed; and, they began recruiting individuals to help intervene, on behalf of the humans, when the supernatural world began to encroach on the natural world. Hence, the I.C.O.S.A. was born.

He had finished his history lesson and sat quietly for a moment, watching her face and reaction to his dialogue. What he didn't know was that Alex had an excellent poker face. She never let her emotions show, she prided herself on this ability.

Realizing she wasn't going to comment on the information he had imparted. He told her that if she were to become an operative for the council, she would be working with the latest technology available in weaponry and high tech gadgets. She would also be trained to deal with both lycans and vampires, and they were offering her a generous starting salary, which would pay twice as much as the FBI offered.

Again, Alex made no reply nor offered any emotional feedback. That is until the waiter showed up with their salads. She looked up at the young man and offered him an amazing smile and thanked him for there food. When he left, she turned her attention back to Thomas, her face devoid of expression.

Not daunted in the least by her lack of reaction, he did explain that there were a few drawbacks to the job. She would have an official looking badge and ID, but no real jurisdiction anywhere. The Council and its agents worked alone without any outside help from any legal body known on the planet. Which also meant, no one was to ever know what she did for a living and whom she worked for. The Council would provide a fake work background for her in case anyone ever went digging around for information on her. And last, but certainly not least; if she were ever captured or imprisoned by either species, she would be hunted down and eliminated by the Council.

When he had finished, her first reaction was...this man was crazy. Vampires and werewolves didn't exist. She was about to politely thank him for the lunch then decline on his offer, when he pulled out a large manila envelope. He placed it in front of her, and then sat back in his chair, not offering an explanation of any kind.

She pushed her salad aside, and absently opened the folder. Wanting only to placate the strange man in front of her, she glanced down at the contents, ready to finish this interview as quickly as possible.

At first, she wasn't sure exactly what it was she was looking at. It was a picture, but it appeared to be abstract, with no real form. Curious, she leaned forward and looked more closely at the image. With a dawning sense of horror, she realized she was looking at a crime scene. The abstract picture was of what appeared to be 2 or 3 bodies, literally ripped to pieces. The various body parts were strewn about a room covered in what had to be blood. Some looked as if they had been chewed on, while others had to have been torn right out of their sockets. The carnage was without a doubt, the most horrific thing she had ever seen.

She turned the picture over and viewed the second image in the file. This one was much more sedate in comparison to the previous picture, but it was still a study in death. This one showed a family of five lying on the floor of a bedroom. Their bodies looked as if they had been thrown into a pile haphazardly; as if, the person who had killed them, just dropped them as soon as they were finished with their corpses. There were puncture wounds visible on each of their necks. Their sightless eyes seeming to look at her as if asking for help.

She flipped through the remaining pictures, each one depicting a scene of carnage and what could only be described as supernatural deaths. In some of the pictures, the photographer had managed to capture the image of the werewolves as they fed upon their victims.

She could no longer question this man's sanity. If the pictures in front of her were real, and they very much looked as if they were, then the things he spoke of were true. And, this organization wanted her to be a part of their efforts to protect human life.

She had asked for a couple of days to think it over, thanked him for the uneaten lunch and went back to the Academy. But it didn't take long for her to make a decision. She was being offered an opportunity of a lifetime. Now, did she know vampires and werewolves (lycans... whatever) were real; she was to personally have a hand in keeping the world safe from these monsters.

She called Thomas that night and left the next morning for ICOSA headquarters in London. She never looked back or regretted her decision. She traveled all over the world, had made some good friends, and lived in a fantastic house. Sure, she lived alone and never seemed able to find the time to date. But, for now she had her career and that was all that mattered.

So what if she found herself alone whenever she wasn't working. There would be plenty of time later to find and date Mr. Right. She had been alone for most of her life. Losing her parents at the age of ten, she lived the next eight years in an orphanage. She had been too old to adopt, so she made the best of a lonely situation. If she could do it then, she could do it now.

It had all worked out in the end. And now, she was about to embark on a new mission to Budapest. Deciding she had wasted enough time, she grabbed the phone and started putting together her team. She knew whom she wanted to take; now it was just a matter of getting them out of bed and moving.


	4. Chapter 03 Temporary Refuge

**CHAPTER THREE: Temporary Refuge**

Budapest, Hungary 

They had somehow managed to find an abandoned building before the sun had risen. The building was two stories high and housed empty office spaces. She had picked a small inside room on the second floor. No windows to cover and only one door to worry about. They were tired, hungry and injured. Selene knew she needed blood, but other than Michael, none was available. And she wasn't sure she wanted to drink from Michael, just yet.

She looked over and watched him move a filing cabinet in front of the door. "I know it won't keep anyone but humans out", he said as if he read her thoughts, "But I'm hoping that if someone should try to get in, it will give us enough time to prepare ourselves."

"Good idea", she replied. Michael walked over to her and gently grabbed her by the shoulders. "How're you holding up", he asked noticing the vacant look in her eyes? Pulling away, she walked to the other side of the room. Hurt, he just watched her pace.

"I'm fine Michael", she said beginning to walking the length of the small room. "I've just killed a man I have loved like a father. The death dealers are surely gearing up to hunt me down and destroy me; oh and Kraven has probably escaped unharmed and unsullied in this hell he has managed to create for everyone else", she said, each word getting louder and louder until she was virtually screaming. Not wanting to intrude on her pain, Michael leaned against the far wall and just listened and watched her in all her furious glory.

Still pacing, Selene continued, "And you Michael, what are you? Will you need blood to sustain you as the vampires do, or will you still be able to eat solid food? Can you walk in the light of day or will the rays of the sun burn you as they do me? I'm starving, if I drink of you, what will I become? Will I end up a cross breed like you or would that only happen if you were to bite me? The only person that could possibly answer these questions is lying in a chamber underneath the subway. Dead Michael, just like you and I will be", she said with a small whimper, sliding down to sit on the floor

She was hiding her face from him; ashamed of the tears she now shed. She was embarrassed by her lack of control. She had always been called the Ice Queen. She was never one to show her emotions, nor to let anyone bother her. To let Michael see her like this, showed weakness not strength.

What she didn't know, as that Michael thought she was the strongest person he had ever met. He knew she wasn't really mad at him; but, she was hurt and furious with Viktor, Lucian and every other vampire and lycan left alive. "What do you want me to say Selene", he finally asked? She looked up and he saw tracks of tears running down her porcelain skin. Unable to stand the sadness engulfing her gaze a moment longer, he walked over and sat down beside her. He took her smaller, but oh so competent, hand in his and he just held it; offering her comfort and solace, nothing more.

She watched his thumb as it rubbed absently across her skin. Finally able to answer, without tears choking her throat, she said, "I don't know what I want. Pausing just a moment, she quickly reiterated, "No, that's not true. I want to go back to being the same person I was before I noticed the lycans tracking you in the subway."

"Selene, that's not possible. And even if it were, would you really want that", he asked? "You now know that Viktor was responsible for the death of your family, not the lycans. Maybe the lycans are not the monsters you've been led to believe. Even if they are, it's better to know the real reason behind the lycan / vampire conflict and no longer be manipulated by a man you loved and trusted." After pausing a moment, he quietly added, "If I could, I would undo the pain you've had to endure the last couple of days."

She looked into his eyes and saw he was sincere. She brought her free hand to his face and caressed his cheek. They were all they had now, just each other. It was important for them to stay together; that was the only chance they had at surviving.

"I know you would", she said, leaning forward and capturing his lips with her own. Then feeling the sun begin to rise, she stretched out with her head in his lap; and, let the day sleep overtake her.


	5. Chapter 04 Meeting The Boys

**CHAPTER FOUR: Meeting The Boys **

_**London, England**_

"Man, are we ever gonna get assignments someplace tropical? I'm seeing white, sandy beaches and women in bikinis", came the all to familiar complaint. Smiling, Alex turned to see Malcolm Smythe coming towards her.

Considering they were currently standing in an always present, fine London mist, she was starting to agree with him. "Malcolm, you're Australian, how much more tropical can you get", she said with a laugh. And for the record, you're gonna have to come up with something else to complain about. You say that every time we have a new mission. Besides, vampires don't do daylight, remember. I think a tropical location would be the last place for them to congregate."

The Australian was tall, about 6'2" and tanned from his recent vacation in his home country. He had obviously been doing some surfing and fishing. Alex had to admit he was attractive, if you were into the California Surfer thing (which she wasn't). His hair was bleached almost white by the sun and hung to his shoulders. His pale blue eyes looked like they'd been washed out by the sun and had those crinkles at the corners from where he constantly squinted against the bright glare of the sun's rays. His nose was long and straight, except for the bump at the bridge where it had been broken one too many times.

He was the first person she had called; well, after she spoke with Thomas to verify Sir William Grey's identity and his story. Malcolm may be laid back, but there was no one else she would rather have at her side. They had worked on more missions than she could remember. They worked well together. In fact, if she had to put together a team, Malcolm was always on it. They seemed to know what the other was thinking and what they needed each other to do. He had saved her life on numerous occasions, as she had his.

Malcolm had made his way to her side and dropped his bag at her feet. "You gonna bring this in for me boss lady", he asked jokingly, knowing her response would be to tell him what he could do with that bag. Never one to disappoint, Alex retorted, "You can carry your own damn bag!" They were laughing when the third member of their team pulled up.

The car door opened to reveal a red headed Irishman by the name of Daniel O'Reilly. "How come I always miss out on all the fun", he asked with a grin. Daniel was an excellent addition to the group. He had a natural easy going personality, and it took a lot to make this man loose his cool. But underneath that joking exterior was a keen intelligence and nerves of steel. He was a communications expert and one helluva shot. The man had the eyesight of a hawk. He was the sniper whenever one was needed. And on all the missions they'd been on together, Alex could never remember Daniel missing a target.

"Hey Irish, how's it going", Malcolm called out, using the nickname they all called Daniel.

"Everything was fine and dandy till I got the call from this crazy lady"; he said jerking his thumb in Alex's direction. She just stood there with a huge grin on her face. Daniel retuned the smile and kept on with his good natured complaining, "I hadn't even been in bed for an hour when I got a ring from her telling me to get my ass up and into London, ASAP."

"Are you finished yet", Alex asked sweetly.

"No, I still have plenty of bitchin left in me; but, I know it's not gonna do me any good", he said, with a twinkle in his bright green eyes.

"Ya know she's a slave driver Irish, you may as well give it up", Malcolm said getting in a jab at her expense.

But both men stopped dead in their tracks when they glanced over at their team leader and saw she'd taken out a 9 mm Glock, and had taken the safety off. She stood there with her legs slightly apart and her arms in front of her body. Her left hand was loosely holding her right elbow and the gun in her right hand was pointed towards the ground at a slight angle. She looked at them with a smile on her face,

"The complaint department is now officially opened. You can file your grievances, right here", she said. The men looked at each other and started backing up with their hands held in front of them, "No way", said Daniel jokingly, "I'll take my chances with the creatures of the night."

Putting the safety back on, Alex took out the clip and showed them it was empty. "Don't worry boys, I wouldn't waste good ammunition on your lazy butts", she informed them. Besides, we're due inside for a briefing as soon as everyone arrives", she told them. So, gather up your stuff and let's go." Malcolm retrieved his bag and followed Alex and Daniel into the compound.

This area was set up for briefings and mobilizing troops. It was a large open room with a rectangular table towards the back and a screen for visual slides. But it was the table to the left of the room that drew Alex's attention. Not only was there fresh coffee brewing, but the two remaining members of their team were already present and availing themselves to the warm beverage.

Alex glanced over at the two men and immediately felt at home. Unlike the two team members she had met up with outside, these guys were fellow Americans. The shorter of the two men raised his hand in greeting while the taller one nodded his head once in their general direction. Both men were good and dependable in the field; she was pleased they were available.

She sat her bag down on the floor and walked over to greet them and grab some much needed caffeine. She knew this team was strong, and they had all worked well together in the past. This was her dream team so to speak; and, the two men before her added so much to the team as a whole. One was a short Hispanic male, Jorge Garcia, and the other was Sterling Jackson, a huge African American. Both men were at the top of their fields in their area of expertise.

Jorge was the mole and explosives expert for the group. At 25 he was the youngest member of the team, as well as the newest. He was about 5'6", thin (maybe weighing 120 lbs. soaking wet), and quiet. But the man could get into the smallest places imaginable and stay underground for hours, no problem. You could always count on him to find an alternative entrance or exit when the conventional way became unavailable.

And Sterling, the man was huge. He stood 6'5" and weighed in at about 250 lbs. His hobbies were weightlifting and more weightlifting. His skin was dark as night and he wore his long hair in corn rolls pulled into a low ponytail at the back of his neck. For lack of a better term, he was literally her muscle. When brute strength was needed Sterling was her man. You add to that, his brilliant strategies, attention to detail, oh, and a master swordsman as well, it made him indispensable. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, people listened and he was respected.

Everyone she had contacted was better than good with both guns and knives, and followed her orders without hesitation. They would give their lives for her and she would do the same for them. And just as important to Alex, was that in all actuality, these men respected her talents and authority. The fact that she was a woman didn't bother them at all. Because as good as every single one of these men were, they would readily admit she was better.

They were all well known for their individual talents, but Alex could and would do it all. She never asked her men to do a task that she herself wasn't willing to perform. She knew no fear. She seemed to have a seventh sense, which told her what to expect in dangerous situations; and, she had learned long ago to listen to her gut instinct. It had never failed her. She was a master sharpshooter, could rig explosives, and was lethal with either a knife or a sword. She had mastered most forms of martial arts and was even willing to go a couple of rounds in the ring with anyone wanting to spar.

It wasn't that she thought she was invincible, quite the opposite actually. She new there was always someone out there bigger and stronger than she was. The trick was to be prepared for any situation and to know when to push on or when to wait for a better opportunity to come along. To look at her, she knew no one would ever expect to find the level of control, cunning, strength, and lethal practicality that lay just below the surface.

She stood 5'3" and weighed in at 122 lbs., which was mostly muscle, though she did have some very obvious curves. She had long, straight red-gold hair that hung to her waist; which she kept braided, ala Laura Croft, when she was working. She had a heart shaped face with almond shaped, amethyst colored eyes, a full mouth and a small pug nose. Then you add in a voice, that much to her chagrin her fellow operatives often referred to as her phone sex voice, she definitely didn't look, or sound, like your normal agent or soldier. She had to overcome her looks and prove to everyone around her that she was more than capable of taking care of business. Which she did. She never gave her physical attributes a second thought. She only wore makeup for special occasions (which here lately, never seemed to occur) and never did anything more than wash and brush her hair. But after many years as an operative, she found that her looks did serve one purpose: people always underestimated her. They thought she was nothing more than a pretty face. So when this curvaceous, attractive woman pulled a gun and shot the bad guys point blank, they never expected it.

Feeling good about her team, Alex walked over to the coffee maker and grabbed a white Styrofoam cup, hoping to grab a quick boost of energy before they headed out. "Well gentlemen", she said addressing her fellow countrymen, "I'm happy to see you made it."

Jorge looked up with a flush tainting his brown skin, "Yes ma'am, Agent Douglas. Agent Jackson and I came in together." Sterling flashed a smile, the white gleam of his teeth glowing bright against his dark skin. "Jorge, and I met up in Washington and caught a ride with some Marines".

"Good are we ready then?", she asked turning to the others in the group. She was answered by a chorus of "yeahs".

They all grabbed their coffee and congregated around the table. There they listened while Sir William Grey, outlined the information he had given to Alex over the phone. When he finished, he asked if there were any questions, when no one responded Alex stood and addressed her team.

"Okay men, first and foremost we need to find how the Lycans managed to avail themselves of what appears to be our ultraviolet ammunition. It is the councils' understanding that we are the only group that currently uses this type of weaponry.

Secondly, we need to ascertain why the Lycans are after Michael Corvin. What is so special about this one particular human? Willie here has thoughtfully provided each of us with a dossier about the man", she said with a nod in Sir Williams' direction. Receiving snorts of laughter from her men, she continued, "And while he does appear to be in good health and intelligent, I don't see anything else that is of great importance.

Finally, what are the lycans doing that they want kept under wraps. Realistically there is no love lost between the vamps and wolves, but the lycans started a riot in a Budapest subway in order to keep the vampires unaware of their interest in regards to this Michael Corvin. This is not only highly unusual but, most troublesome", she said finishing their objectives.

Glancing around at her team, she felt confident in their abilities but her gut was telling her something was up and she was no longer sure of the outcome of this mission. Trying to shake off the bad feeling, she began issuing orders.

"Grab your gear, but bring only what's necessary. Plenty of ammunition, both ultraviolet and silver nitrate, Jorge make sure you pack extra silver nitrate minis. If we should run into a large group of lycans, those little bombs will come in real handy. Night vision gear is a must. Remember, we will be on their turf working in their favorite conditions. Bring only the knives and swords made of silver. No, the silver doesn't bother the vamps like it does the lycans, but it will injure them just as badly as a steel sword and there's no sense in bringing more than is absolutely necessary. "Does anyone have anything else to contribute?" When everyone shook their heads no, she said, "Then let's get over to Budapest and check in with the local bad guys." Everyone retrieved their gear and weapons; and, then headed out to the air pad and the waiting chopper transport.


	6. Chapter 05 Search For Michael

**CHAPTER** **FIVE: Searching for Michael**

**_Budapest, Hungary _**

They had been in Budapest for about 6 hours; and, so far they that hadn't had any luck tracking down Michael Corvin. They had landed at a private airport outside the city, and then reported to the small office the council kept in the area. There, they had been able to store their extra gear and weapons and then split up. Sterling, Jorge and Daniel were going to check out the local hospital where Mr. Corvin was currently employed. She and Malcolm were heading over to his apartment to see if they could catch him there. First and foremost, they were to find out as much as possible. No interaction with the lycans or vamps unless it was in self-defense.

When she and Mal got to Michael's residence, they found some very interesting things, but no Michael. The complex looked as if a small army had stormed through. They had found a trail of dried blood outside the building and followed it through the main doors over to the elevators. There they discovered a small pool of dried blood on the floor. Always prepared, Alex took a small tube out of her jacket pocket and scooped up a couple of flakes, hoping it might be good enough to run an analysis on. They also found several bullet casings lying on the floor. Malcolm collected these and put them in a baggy for analysis as well. Further down the hall, they found a huge chunk of ceiling that had fallen from the floor above. Alex surmised someone had shot at the floor until it gave.

Leaving the ground floor they made their way up to Michael's place. Here they found proof of some type of lycan conflict. The ceiling and walls appeared to be crushed in various places, as well as more bullet casings found scattered throughout the hall. Someone had obviously been shooting at oncoming shapeshifters, but who, Michael Corvin? This was getting very interesting.

Turning to Mal, Alex noticed an open door and immediately knew it would lead to Michael's apartment. She drew her gun and motioned Malcolm over to the beckoning doorway. Surprisingly enough, there was little damage to the inside of the dwelling. The ceilings were crushed in where the lycans had run across the floor above.

But they found no evidence of foul play. Of course, Michael was nowhere to be found; but all in all, there was no evidence that he was dead either. The blood they did find wasn't enough to kill someone, just enough to show a substantial injury of some kind.

The Hungarian people were superstitious by nature and it appeared that no one wanted the job of cleaning up the mess, nor did they contact the local police. Grateful for this one small concession, Alex instructed Malcolm to help her search the apartment for clues of any kind. They looked through the entire place, and found nothing more than they already knew. Knowing they were wasting precious time, they decided to meet up with the rest of the team, hoping they had better news.

They had agreed to meet back at the local council offices as soon as they were through. Malcolm and Alex were the first to show up, but the other team members weren't far behind. Fortunately, their compadres had better luck than she and Malcolm did. She had sent Daniel with Jorge and Sterling because he was better able to question civilians than Jorge and less intimidating than Sterling. "He hadn't let her down", she thought as he began giving a detailed account of what they had found out.

"It seems that the local police are very interested in talking to Mr. Corvin. They showed up at the hospital looking for him, soon after the shootout at the subway. The doctor we spoke to explained that the policemen were adamant about physically seeing and speaking with Michael; as they were concerned he might be involved in the shooting. Now, the doc told us, he had found this very odd, because Dr. Corvin had never been in any kind of legal trouble. But, he told the police to come back tomorrow; Michael was supposed to be on duty then. Well, it turns out Michael did show up, but not for work. He had been injured and the doc says it looked like a very large animal had bitten him. He was agitated and very nervous; and, he kept insisting it had been a man not an animal that got to him. The doc had him wait in a room while he went to get the cops but, Corvin caught on to the ruse and escaped before the police could question him", he said finishing up.

"Whoa", remarked Malcolm. "And when did all this take place", Alex asked.

This time it was Jorge that spoke up. "This was two days ago", he answered, "And his friend says he has not seen nor heard from him since."

The quiet giant finally spoke up, "I hate to point out the obvious, but Michael Corvin may no longer be human. There was a full moon last night", Sterling said in his deep melodious voice.

Needing a few moments to process this information over, Alex asked Malcolm to fill the guys in on what they had found. When he was done, Alex spoke up, "Well, the evidence we found at the apartment seems to correlate with what you guys found. Michael must have been bitten by a lycan at his home and then made his way over to the hospital. So, I fear you're more than likely correct Sterling. The chances of Michael Corvin being human are slim to none. But regardless, we need to find out what the lycans are up to, why they have ammo similar to ours, and how this is going to affect the conflict with the vampires and the human population. So, we stay and continue to look for Michael Corvin, hopefully he will lead us to the lycans. Let's keep our ears and eyes open for any signs of vamps and/or lycans and get to the bottom of this", she said pacing the room.

"So, what's our next step", Malcolm asked?

"I say we start where this whole mess originally started", Alex decided. "The subway was where the civilian had been injured during the vampire/lycan shootout, right? We know the vamps live in that huge mansion outside of the city. What isn't known, is where they lycans are staying. Didn't the report Willie gave us, state the lycans headed down into the subway tunnels once the vampires returned their fire?" she asked to no one in particular?

Yeah", Daniel answered, "and the female death dealer had chased after them".

"So it's possible, the lycans are living somewhere in that area. I say we go check it out and see what we can find", she directed.


	7. Chapter 6 Facing The Aftermath

**CHAPTER SIX: Facing The Aftermath**

The small group made their way to the subway, hoping to get lucky. On orders from Alex, they had all brought extra ammo and several guns a piece, along with a couple of minis and grenades. They weren't taking any chances. By the time they got there, they found the terminal completely empty. There was not a single living soul, employee or otherwise, to be found. The trains weren't running, but there didn't appear to be any reason for the shutdown. There was just...nothing. Apprehensive, Alex instructed the team to draw weapons and be on alert.

She was worried. Her gut instinct was screaming they leave now; but she couldn't. She felt compelled to find out more. She walked over to the rails, jumped down and headed into the dark abyss ahead that seemed to be beckoning her. Realizing she was onto something, her team followed behind her, watching each other's backs.

They hadn't made it too far down the line, before the smell of blood and raw meat hit them. This was why the subway had been deserted. Something big had gone down and the citizens of Hungary had vacated the area and not returned. Somehow, she couldn't blame them. Following the stench, she found an opening that would hopefully lead them underground. Alex cautiously walked over and peered over the edge. She couldn't see much, but the smell was atrocious. Figuring this was as good a place as any, she motioned for her team to come over.

"Okay, I'm going down", she informed them. "Daniel, I want you to stay topside and watch for any signs of trouble. Malcolm, once I hit the bottom, I'll scan for possible threats. If all looks good, I'll motion you down next, with Jorge and Sterling to follow", she said giving out instructions. "I'm not sure what to expect, but it's obvious something big happened here and we need to know what it was. Any questions", she asked. The team shook their heads, and then watched their leader holster her gun, and begin descending into the dark hole.

The ladder was slick with what she assumed was blood; so the descent was slow. Finally reaching the bottom, she stepped off the last rung, pulling her weapons out of their holsters. She scanned the room, looking for any potential dangers. Not finding anything, she signaled Malcolm to follow.

The carnage that confronted her eyes was horrifying. It took everything she had not to loose the granola bar she had consumed on the way over. She found no sign of anyone or anything alive and breathing. What she did find was numerous body parts, blown apart and covering every inch of the room. By now, the guys had made it down the ladder and Jorge was over in the corner retching. Waiting for him to finish up, Sterling watched his back as they continued to keep an eye out for trouble. Jorge stood up and tried to apologize, but Alex shook her head and motioned for silence. Taking the lead again, she made her way out the door and further into the underground tunnels.

Room after room showed them the damage was substantial. They came across corpses of human forms and lycan forms, and forms somewhere in between. Some had tried to make the change, but the damage had been substantial, and most couldn't make a complete transformation. They also came across half eaten bodies and the burned out shells of vampires. Shell casings littered every room.

They were making their way through, what they assumed to be, the subterranean lair of the lycans. Room through room, they searched and found nothing but the dead. Sightless eyes watched their progress and mouths, opened in fear and pain, seemed to cry out for help. This had been a massacre. The majority of the bodies appeared to be lycans, but a good number of vampires met their demise here as well.

They had made their way into a chamber, filled with a pool of water. Alex and her team entered cautiously. The large room had several doorways and a second floor; which if left unchecked, could make them easy targets. She motioned for Jorge and to make his way around the pool and for Malcolm and Sterling to take the upper level. There was a body floating face down in the pool and she wanted a closer look at it.

Alex slowly waded through the water, trying to move as quietly as possible. She never took her eyes off the body lying in front of her. From the back, it looked to be completely intact, so she didn't want to take any chances it might still be alive. When she had made her way to the body, she quickly realized, it wasn't as intact as she had originally thought; its face had been sliced in two. Well, she no longer had to worry about it jumping up and eating her for dinner. She prodded it with her foot first, and when there was no response, she bent down and flipped the body over.

She wasn't sure, but the corpse might be one of the Vampire Elders. Possibly Viktor, but with half of his face missing, identification was a bit tough. Sterling and Malcolm had come back down and Jorge had finished his sweep of the lower levels, nothing else was found. Leaving the vampire floating face up, Alex joined her team and moved on.

The next room they swept had been a lab of some kind. Beakers and Bunsen burners covered the surface of the cabinet. They also found a chain and cuffs suspended from the ceiling over a drain, and a table that could be positioned both horizontally and vertically. Finding no one there, they cautiously made their way futher into the labyrinth of tunnels.

In the adjacent room, they hit paydirt. Here they found another body, and this one was completely whole. They quickly surveyed the room, making sure there were no other potential hazards. When all was clear, Alex motioned for her team to continue on with the sweep. She wanted to stay here and see if she could find out anything about the man lying on the floor. Malcolm walked over after Sterling and Jorge went on ahead.

"Are you sure you want to stay here alone", he asked Alex quietly. She nodded, "I'm good, Malcolm. Go on ahead and make sure the rest of the area is secure. If there are any survivors, I want them found and questioned. I'll see if I can find anything on our friend here; and, then meet back up with you guys." "Okay boss lady, whatever you say", he said and left to catch up with the other two men.

She looked the lycan over and knew there was no way possible this creature could still be alive. The ravages of the liquid silver were apparent, as it had snaked its way through his veins. It had left a visible path of destruction across his handsome visage. The numerous bullet holes covering his upper torso confirmed her theory. He must have been powerful; it had taken a lot of silver shot to bring him down.

Squatting down beside him, she felt the urge to touch the creature they had discovered. Reaching out, she brushed a strand of long wavy dark brown hair away from his face. For some inexplicable reason, she was drawn to him; and for a moment, she wished he would open his eyes and she could see what color they were. Shaking off the strange feeling, she leaned in to closer look him over.

His skin was pale and it looked as though he had suffered greatly before he died. Looking him over from head to toe, he didn't appear to be very tall. He may have been somewhere around 5'8" to 5'10", and he was slight of build. Again, she felt compelled to touch him. Fighting the urge, she peered closely, trying to determine exactly how many shots of silver it had taken to do him in.

She could count four shots, but she wasn't sure if that was the extent of the damage. She quickly convinced herself that it was important to ascertain the exact number of wounds. But if she were to be honest with herself, it was her unnatural curiosity about this lycan that provoked her to undo the buttons on his shirt. Once done, she sat back on her heels and squelched her impatience at wanting to view his naked chest. Taking a deep breath she reached out and slowly pulled aside the damaged cloth.

The pale expanse of his exposed skin had her completely fascinated. She lightly brushed her fingers through the soft, curling hair sprinkling his chest. She looked her fill, and became unexpectedly angry when she caught sight of the numerous holes riddling his torso; leaving trails of leaking silver nitrate. She couldn't explain her suddenly uncontrollable emotions. She just knew it hurt her to see the pain this man must have suffered.

Wait a minute, when did she stop thinking of him as a monster? Well, whatever she was feeling, her fingers felt on fire as the burned a trail down his chest, to explore his muscled abdomen and lean, flat stomach. She jerked her hand away when she brushed up against the waistband of his pants, brining her back to reality.

If any of her team had walked in and found her feeling up the dead lycan, she would be reported and put on long term leave. She was here to do a job, not become obsessed with a now deceased shapeshifter. She wanted to see if he had taken any shots in his arms or shoulders.

She pushed the sleeves off his shoulders and probed the one bullet wound she found along his right bicep; but she quickly found herself far more interested in the lean arms roped with muscle.

He didn't have the obvious mass Sterling or even Malcolm had; but, she could tell that he had had strength. She found herself wondering what kind of man he had been, when he was alive. She broke her gaze and turned her head to the side, suddenly unable to catch her breath.

She needed to find that level of detachment she was so famous for. Where were her unemotional motives when she needed them? Taking a deep breath, she calmed her overactive imagination and went back to looking for some kind of identification.

She knew he wasn't Michael Corvin, his face and body didn't match the picture they had been given of Michael. But, it would be nice to put a name with a face. This way they could report it to the Council and they could document the lycan as deceased.

With a heavy heart, she searched through his jacket and the front pockets of his pants, but found nothing. Hoping to have better luck with his back pockets, she grabbed him by the shoulders and attempted to turn him over. Unexpectedly, she felt the arms under her hands, tense. Suddenly afraid, she looked down at his face and into the saddest eyes she had ever seen.

"Please, allow me to apologize", he informed her in a melodically accented voice. Alex was still paralyzed with shock when his eyes turned black and she watched his canines lengthen. Knowing what was about to happen, and unable to prevent it; she watched his face as he reversed their positions and grabbed her by the shoulders. Then he slowly lowered his mouth to her exposed neck and to her surprise, brushed a kiss along her pulse before he sank his teeth deep into her throat.


	8. Chapter 07 Watching a Dream Die

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Watching a Dream Die**

Lucian had lain near death, for hours. All around him, sounds of gunfire and combat could be heard. With every scream, he mourned the loss of another comrade. The confrontation had lasted longer than he had anticipated; but in the end, it didn't appear if many had survived. However, his lifelong dream had been realized: he had managed to cross the species. Now, if he could only find the strength to change, he may survive himself.

He had injected himself with Michael's blood, waiting for Raze to come back from the raid on Amelia's train. But that bastard Kraven, had turned on him and shot him before Raze had returned. He had all but given up, until his faithful follower arrived with the Vampire Elder's blood; blood which he needed very badly. He had managed to drink down several of the vials when he realized that Michael was no longer alone. Selene had found him and was letting him go. He heard Michael telling her of the real reason the war between their species was being raged, when in walked Kraven. He had attempted to take Selene with him, but his attempt was unsuccessful. That was then the impossible had happened.

Kraven shot Michael; and, he knew this was his last, perhaps only, chance to fulfill his destiny. He had used the last bit of his strength to pull himself over to Kraven and stabbed him through the leg. Then he had told Selene to bite Michael, knowing it would save his life. Then it no longer mattered that Kraven had filled his chest with silver, again. He had seen Michael change when Viktor had pulled Selene off of him. It had worked, as he knew it would. He only hoped Michael had made it out alive. Now, he patiently waited for death to claim him, as it had all the others.

He must have lost consciousness at some point and time, because the smell of humans suddenly permeated the air. Too weak to even open his eyes, he laid there in silence, and the smell grew stronger. Soon, several people had entered the chamber. They walked around, looking for signs of life, or danger. Several of the people moved out of the chamber further into the tunnels, when he heard someone speak. A man asked if he should stay, if the person staying would be okay in here alone. A woman responded, obviously she was in charge. She told him to go with the others and secure the rest of the chambers. The man left and the woman looked around again, then made her way to his side. She must have looked him over for a moment, because he heard nothing but the sound of her breathing. Then surprisingly, he felt her brush his hair aside.

Soon, he felt her hands moving along the buttons of his shirt, and after a small pause, she pushed aside the cloth and exposed his injuries. It had taken great control to stay absolutely still. He felt her graze his chest and wounds lightly with her fingers, and willed himself not to move. Her touch was gentle, almost reverent. Which made what he was about to do seem so dirty. But he was still alive, and he had decided to stay that way.

He opened his eyes and looked at the woman taking liberties with his person.

She wasn't what he had expected. She was quite beautiful, with high cheekbones and a full mouth. It was when she grabbed his shoulders that he caught a glimpse of the most amazing eyes he had ever seen. They were a deep violet color with long dark lashes tipped in gold. She was breathtaking. But he must have shown his surprise, because she suddenly looked down into his face in shock. Regardless of what she looked like, he could only think of what her presence might mean: a chance to see if Michael had made it out of the carnage, alive.

Without waiting another second, he grabbed hold of her and apologized, then brought her neck closer to his mouth. Her skin was so soft and as he pulled her close, he took a deep breath, inhaling her slightly spicy scent. Without knowing why, he placed a soft kiss against her neck before he sank his teeth deep into her throbbing pulse.


	9. Chapter 08 A Man Down

**CHAPTER EIGHT: A Man Down**

Malcolm was only slightly concerned. Alex had assured him she would catch up with them; but, they had managed to complete their sweep and there was still no sign of her. They reached the end of the tunnels, and he and the others turned back to find Alex. They were more than ready to get out of the mass grave they had stumbled into.

They hadn't located any survivors, or any other bodies that could lead to any kind of identification. These creatures had all but annihilated each other, and for what? Malcolm was sure that this was a vital piece of information. And he knew that the answer would be crucial if it came down to winning a battle that could soon encroach upon the human world. What was it that had sparked this war, and why were the lycans after Michael Corvin? They had come to Hungary to find the answers to these questions; but, so far all they had managed to do was create more questions. He wasn't the only one frustrated. Sterling may not voice his opinions often, but his body language spoke volumes. He was ready to vacate these premises, to be back among the living. And Jorge was on edge too; he was constantly looking over his shoulder and jumping at shadows. They had been underground for less than an hour, and it was already getting to the normally calm man. He felt the same way; he was just better at hiding it than the younger team member.

They had finally made it back to the chamber where they had left Alex. They had not seen her along the way, so he was hoping she was still working on the dead body they had found earlier. To his dismay, Alex wasn't there and neither was the dead lycan. Near panic set in, was she hurt? Or had she decided they needed a better look at the shapeshifter and brought him above ground?

"I don't like this Malcolm", Sterling said quietly.

He looked over at the tall black man and agreed, "I know what you mean." Hoping she was with Daniel; the three men quickly left the room and ran back to the manhole they had entered through, looking for signs of Alexandra along the way.

When they reached the ladder, Malcolm whistled; a signal that it was them approaching, and not an ambush. He had never climbed a ladder so fast in his life, but when he reached the top, it was Daniel's large, freckle covered hand that reached in to help him out, not Alex's.

"Alex isn't here with you" he asked with his heart in his throat?

"Why would she be here", Daniel asked. "Didn't she go down with you guys into that hellhole?"

By now both Sterling and Jorge had crawled out of the abyss and looked around for Alex.

"Agent Douglas isn't here, is she", Jorge said stating the obvious.

Malcolm looked at Daniel and said, "We have a man down."

He quickly filled Daniel in on all that had happened below the surface.

"You mean you left her alone in a room with a lycan", Daniel asked incredulously?

"Damnit Irish, she's capable of taking care of herself; hell, she's a better shot than any of us here. Besides, when did Alex ever let anyone tell her what to do? She's the leader of this mission: she was giving the orders. Anyway, that lycan had to have been dead. He was shot through with silver. It wasn't possible for him to survive that", Malcolm said defensively.

"Listen, you're both correct", Sterling said trying to lessen the growing panic all of them were feeling. "We shouldn't have left Alex in there alone, but Daniel, Malcolm was right. There was no way that lycan could have survived the amount of silver shot into him. Just at a quick glance I counted five wounds, and it looked to be silver nitrate. I didn't think twice about Alex's order when she told us to continue the sweep. We didn't find anything living in that hole. Everything down there was dead", he finished.

Daniel spoke up, "Obviously not everything. We need to go back down there and look for her", he said moving towards the opening.

Malcolm reached out and grabbed his arm, "Daniel, she's not down there. We re-conned the entire area once we realized she was missing. She's gone, and so is the lycan we left her with."


	10. Chapter 09 Renewed Resolve

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Worth The Trouble**

He drank deeply of the small female he held in his arms. She tasted like ambrosia; and, he wasn't sure he could pull himself away. But he did, knowing she may be important to his quest for bringing to life a new breed.

She lay still in his arms; eyes closed, her lashes dark against her golden skin. She was petite in size but she had strong limbs. Her musculature was defined without being grossly oversized. He figured her movements would be graceful, sure.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he knew they needed to vacate the premises. The other members of her team would be back soon. And they wouldn't be happy to find their leader sitting in his lap, drained of blood.

He laid her aside, and stood up; testing his renewed strength. He was a little unsteady, but that was to be expected with the numerous injuries he had sustained. He bent over and picked up the woman that had unwittingly saved his life. Knowing he couldn't move around quickly, carrying her as he would a bride over the threshold; he threw her over his shoulder and made his way through the tunnels he once called home.

He surveyed the damage along the way; noting which fellow lycans had met their demise at the hand of the death dealers. Furious at the futile loss of so many of his kind, he silently promised their lifeless bodies he would make things right.

Figuring his captive and her team would have a lookout at the main entrance, he went through a secondary exit, a tunnel he and Raze had discovered during their long sojourn under the subways.

He hadn't seen Razes' body amongst the dead. He hoped he had survived and had gathered together the remaining shapeshifters. Whomever survived had hopefully moved on to their secondary lair; a place where they could tend to the injured and devise a plan. He knew where they would be, he just needed a little bit of time to gather his strength and to insure the female he had with him would not cause any problems.

He had finally made it out of the tunnels and found himself topside. His strength was fading fast; he needed a place to rest. But where could they go and be safe from the vampires? Aha, he had it! The vampires had kept Michael in a holding cell. It had a good supply of blood, camera's throughout the building and he could chain up his new friend while he recuperated.

Wishing he knew where to find Michael and wondering if Kraven had made it out alive, Lucian made his way to the safety of the vampire owned property, carrying the unconscious woman.

They made it to the building without fail. He hadn't seen a glimpse of lycans, nor vampires; but since it was daytime, he didn't expect to find any vampires about. He carried his burden up the flight of stairs and into the rooms; which had recently held Michael prisoner. He cautiously opened the door to the back room and gently lowered the female into the chair. He clamped the manacles around her wrists. She still appeared to be out. He reached out and tested the pulse in her neck; it was shallow but steady. He had taken more than he had intended, but she would be fine.

He needed to replenish his strength. He foraged through the small refrigerator, finding a ready supply of blood. He tore open the bag and drank it down, not even bothering to heat it up. Feeling slightly better, he grabbed another bag and put it into the microwave oven he found beside the refrigerator. When the timer went off, the woman in the chair stirred. He pulled out the blood and drank it down, slower this time, as he watched the female come to.

She appeared disoriented, her amethyst colored eyes foggy and unfocused. She shook her head as if trying to clear it out. Without warning, her mind went flying down a dark smoky tunnel and opened up into a room where a man was chained to the floor. He was being tortured and beaten. But as soon as he began to lift his head, the image disappeared and slowly, the room she currently occupied came into focus.

Sitting across from her was the lycan she had found down in the tunnels. Her mind seemed to be working in slow mo as she turned her thoughts to the events that had taken place earlier that day. She remembered her and her team going into the subway and finding the tunnels. She also recalled them searching the underground rooms looking for Michael Corvin. Then they came across the only fully intact body to be found in the subterranean lair. She had stayed behind to search the dead lycan for identification...wait a minute....he wasn't dead.

Suddenly the memories came rushing in on her. Not only was the lycan alive, he had bitten her and obviously taken her hostage. She tried standing up, only to find she had been chained to the chair she now occupied, and she was really lightheaded. Blood loss, she told herself. Which was probably a good thing, because if she had been able to reach him, she would have torn the shapeshifter limb from limb. Now, all she could do was glare at the infuriating man while he grinned at her with a slightly lopsided twist of his lips.

"Under the circumstances, I feel it best to introduce myself", the lycan began. "I am Lucian", he said watching her to see if his name registered any kind of reaction. Her face was a clean slate. No emotion, other than anger, crossed her slightly exotic features. She either had no idea who he was, or she was really good at schooling her reactions.

After waiting a few moments, he spoke again. "Normally, this would be the time you would reciprocate and tell me your name", he prodded.

She didn't say a word. She just sat there glaring at him.

"Okay, I can see you're not in a talkative mood. I'll tell you what, let's say I give you a little alone time. I'm sure you're not quite recovered from our little encounter, and you're probably not feeling quite up to snuff. I am sorry that I can't let you out of your restraints, but I need to rest a little, regain my strength you know. I suggest you do the same. I'll leave you with a warmed bag of blood. If you drink it down, you may find you have regained some, if not all, of your strength. Once I awaken, I'll come back in and we can further discuss our situation. Does this sound agreeable to you", he asked politely?

She still didn't respond. She just sat there still as a statue. He walked over to the refrigerator and took out one more bag of blood. He then heated it up and punctured one end so that she could easily tear into it. Then he slowly walked over to her and placed the blood on the table, well within her reach. The chains allowed for a little maneuvering, so he knew she could get to the sustenance should she so choose to.

When she made no move to touch the bag or him, he moved over to the door. He opened it to leave, but before he walked out, he turned and studied her. Nothing showed on her face, not even the anger he had found there when she realized what had happened. She sat there completely devoid of any emotion. Odd, he thought, then he closed the door, ready for a short rest.


	11. Chapter 10 Coming To Terms

**CHAPTER TEN: Coming to Terms**

She had watched the infuriating man walk out of the room; glad she hadn't given away her emotions. So, he claimed to be the great and long dead Lucian, huh? That was interesting.

She needed some time to regroup and get herself together, mentally as well as physically. And that man tended to mess with her mind and hormones whenever he was in the room. Now that he had closed the door and put some distance between them, she could think a little more clearly.

"Why hadn't she called out", she asked herself, as she tried yet again to break the chains that now held her prisoner. Because she knew that as soon as he had bitten her, she was no longer one of them: no longer human. She would be dead to her team, figuratively if not literally. If they had found her in Lucian's grasp, she would've had to watch Malcolm or Sterling put her down. She didn't want it to end that way.

Yes, she knew what she was now, or at least what she would become once the full moon was upon her. But no worries, she wouldn't allow herself to become one of the monsters. Her life's work had been eliminating their kind. She wouldn't succumb to the madness; she had a plan. She would take out as many of them as possible before the full moon, and then end her own life. She new that Malcolm and the others would be worried when they couldn't find her, but she couldn't let them see nor find her. She would die, but it would be on her terms, not the Councils'.

Feeling slightly better, she turned her attention to the enigmatic man in the other room. She couldn't deny she was drawn to him, even though she was extremely pissed at the man. Uttering the first words she had spoken since Malcolm had left her with the lycan alone, she yelled out, "Really, just who in the hell do you think you are anyway!?" She hoped he had heard her, even though she didn't expect an answer. But soon, the sound of his laughter could be heard coming from the other room.

The warm sounds did nothing to cool her anger, in fact in sent her blood boiling. Blood, wait a minute....she glanced over at the cooling bag of blood waiting for her on the table. Did he really expect her to drink the blood he had so thoughtfully prepared for her? Well, he had another thing coming if he thought she would throw back a bag of O positive just because he had turned her into one of the monsters. Thinking about it made her stomach roll.

Wait a minute, lycans didn't need to drink blood to survive, that was vampires. Sure, she lost quite a bit of blood when Lucian bit her, but that could be replaced with a simple transfusion, it didn't require she drink the stuff. Oh man, her head hurt.

"Relax Alex, take deep breaths", she told herself. "You can get through this: your tough... a warrior, just remember that", she said, giving herself a small pep talk. Taking several calming breaths, she focused again on Lucian. Well, at least that's whom he claimed to be. Honestly, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The lycan had to have extreme power if he was able to fight off that much silver.

She pictured him in her mind. Her first assessment of his height had been right, he wasn't tall, right around 5'9", but he had this regal bearing. He carried himself well, so he actually appeared taller than he really was. His slightly wavy hair hung just past his shoulders, and he kept it pulled back from his face. He wasn't classically handsome, but his face held great character and his beautiful eyes haunted her. They seemed so wise and yet so sad. He had given her that lopsided grin several times while in the room, but the smile never quite reached those hazel/brown eyes.

She tried to recall what little bit of information had been available about the lycan. She seemed to remember he had once belonged to an era where the lycans were the daytime servants to the vampires; protecting them during the day when they were at their most vulnerable. Then without reason, the records showed that Lucian became a leader to the Lycans pitting his race against those he had once served. He was considered a tremendous threat and a strong leader. They had succeeded in taking down a significant number of vampires when Kraven supposedly brought his life to an end. Hard as she tried, she couldn't remember much else.

The Council had never considered his existence an actual possibility. They had never found any concrete evidence of it, whereas there was supposedly proof of his demise. Therefore, they had never bothered doing much research on the man...well, lycan.

Gasping, she was hit with another round of flashbacks. These visuals concentrated more on a female vampire chained to a wooden pole in the middle of a large chamber. It was as if she looking at the woman through the eyes of someone else in the room. She looked around and realized she was back in the room she had visited earlier, while watching the man being beaten with chains. Suddenly she realized she was the man she had glimpsed earlier, and he was being forced to watch the female vampire burn to death. He called out her name, "Sonja". Suddenly the vision seemed to move, and she was now a spectator in the macabre show. Viktor, the oldest of the vampires walked into the room and over to the burned shell of the woman. He grabbed hold of the pendant she wore on a chain and jerked it off her neck. Then all of a sudden, the tortured man on the floor looked up and howled. She watched Lucian, for that is who the man was, change form and rip the chains binding him. He leapt at Viktor and grabbed the necklace from him then climbed the wall out the opening in the ceiling.

Shaking her head to clear the vision, she gasped. The man on the floor had been Lucian, and obviously he had cared greatly for the female vampire he had been forced to watch die. These little insights she kept having were obviously a side effect from Lucian's bite. Which meant they were his memories. So, it appeared that Lucian held a big grudge against the vampires, Viktor in particular. Was he responsible for Viktor's death, she wondered?

Her headache was worse, if that was possible. She was also lightheaded. Lucian must have taken a considerable amount of blood before he decided to let her live. Why had he stopped? What purpose was she to serve? More questions for which she didn't have any answers. Knowing she was going to have to give up some information, before she got any in return; she mentally prepared herself for a round of verbal sparring with a man she was strangely attracted to.

In the other room, Lucian moved to the only chair to be found. He settled in and tried to make himself comfortable, determined to take a short nap.

In the silence, he could hear her as she moved in the chair; pulling against the restraints, her breathing slightly labored. Then silence reigned for a few precious moments, like a calm before the storm.

Soon, it was broken when she had yelled at him through the closed door. He had laughed; surprised at the foreign sound coming from his mouth. It had been a long time since he had last laughed.

The woman was definitely not what he had expected. In his experience, most females would have been crying hysterically and screaming at the circumstances she had found herself in. But this one had kept her cool in his presence and even had the audacity to yell at him. It was a refreshing change of pace.

He had always made it a point to avoid turning women; and, if the current circumstances weren't so unusual, he wouldn't have turned this one either. But, he needed to learn all he could about the new species he had helped create. And without Michael on hand, a new acolyte was his best chance to achieve this.

Truly, he had to give the recalcitrant female credit, she was obviously intelligent, in excellent physical condition, and courageous. She really was an excellent specimen for this research. But, it had been a long time since he consciously chosen to be around a member of the opposite sex. Of course, there were the times he had found a willing female with which to slake his hunger for sex. Emotions naturally ran high among the lycans, especially anger and lust. But those times were strictly a means to an end. There had never been a long-term relationship involved. And now, he found himself at a distinct disadvantage. He wasn't sure how to handle the female he found himself strapped with.

He had to admit, he wasn't sure he cared for the way women had evolved. They had turned into creatures that were far too independent and aggressive for his liking. Females could be as controlling, ruthless and manipulative as males. The woman he now held captive was a no exception. She was obviously leading the expedition that had come into his tunnels, uninvited. She had been in charge. Was that any place for a woman to have been? Her men left her alone in that chamber, because she had instructed them to do so. It had nearly gotten her killed.

Actually, it wasn't just the women of this century he had a problem with; it was the general populace of the planet. He had lived such a long life; he missed the simpler times. He missed Sonja.

There had never been another woman that made him feel, as she had. She had been his everything, his reason for living. When Viktor had killed both her and their child, he had lost a piece of his humanity. He had become something his people had tried so hard to control; he became his beast. He had embraced this monster and let it control him for so many centuries. Once the blood lust had cleared, and he was able to think intelligently again, he found another way to strike at the vampires. He would make happen the one thing the vampires feared most, a cross breed of both species.

From that point on, he kept a tight rein on his lycans and himself. He never allowed women or children to be harmed or turned, this was why there were few if any females found amongst his followers. There had been times that innocents got caught up in the battles that raged between his species and the vampires. But for the most part, he made sure it didn't happen. When it did, he himself punished the lycan responsible. He was more than capable of becoming a lethal monster again, and he brooked no disrespect from those he led. He orders and command were to be obeyed at all costs.

Now, he had achieved success, only to have it slip through his fingers. He had to find out if Michael had survived, and if so, locate him. He also needed to gather up the remaining lycans, if any had lived through the horrible battle. "Raze...did he make it out?" Lucian again wondered. He sincerely hoped so. Raze had been, his right hand man and he could help assure the old breed accepted and worked with the new breed. These were things that he could be doing right now. Not babysitting the woman in the other room.

No sooner was the thought out of his mind, than he heard her calling his name. Knowing he wouldn't be getting sleep anytime soon, he mentally braced himself for another meeting with the stubborn woman in the next room. He sighed, as he went to see what it was she needed.


	12. Chapter 11 In Search Of Alex

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: In Search of Alex**

Back with the ICOSA Team 

They had headed over to the Council's office, hoping Alex had been able to escape the lycan. She wasn't there. Unwilling to give up just yet, Malcolm quickly decided on the next course of action.

"Okay men, gather up your radios and let's head out. We'll split up, each of us taking a separate section of town.

"Is that really safe", Jorge asked tentatively?

"From the looks of things in the subway, I'd say that most of the supernatural population is down for the count", Malcolm answered. "It's also daylight, so that takes the vampires out of the equation. This is our best opportunity to search the area and cover as much ground as possible", he explained.

"You know she's still alive", Sterling stoically stated.

"Yeah, isn't that what we're hoping for", Daniel retorted somewhat angry?

"What I meant, was that if she were dead, her body would've been left behind in the tunnels; it wasn't. Which means the lycan must have bitten her. If there had been a struggle or fight of any kind, we would have seen signs; we would have heard something. But there wasn't a single sound made. He bit her and she didn't call out for help", Sterling finished morosely.

"And your point would be", Daniel shot back.

Sterling looked to Malcolm for help. As new team leader, Malcolm was about to make his first executive decision. "It means, Alex is no longer Alex. She'll become one of the monsters as soon as the moon turns full", Malcolm said answering for his friend.

They all looked shell shocked. Alex had been their friend and team member for more than six years. It was hard to believe they were now going to have to hunt her down and take her down.

"Isn't there anything we can do? Maybe pour holy water on the wound, or something": Jorge asked expectantly?

"Believe me, if there was any chance of saving her, I would do it", Malcolm stated emphatically. "But there is no known cure for lycanthropy. We have to find Alex and put her out of her misery." There, he'd said it. As leader of the mission, he had to make the call. He had seen Alex make the same decision on numerous occasions, but it didn't make it any easier. Trying to reassure his team he finished, "We've discussed it before and it's what she would have wanted."

Knowing they couldn't put it off any longer, he handed out orders. "Jorge, I want you to make the call into the Council. Let them know what went down and advise them of our intent to find Agent Douglas and contain the situation. Once you've finished your report, go out and search through the downtown area." The young man nodded his head in assent. Turning to the remaining two members of the team, Malcolm continued, "Daniel, you take the east end of town and Sterling you cover the north end. I'll check out the west & south sides. Once you've finished your sweep, everyone report back here. If you find her, do not try to engage her on your own. Call for backup. This is going to be hard enough as it is; I don't want any one person to have to take this responsibility on his own. Are we clear", he asked?

"Crystal", Daniel replied still angry.

"Good, everyone check their channels and lets go", Malcolm concluded.

The dejected group of men made their way downstairs and out into the daylight. Before he could dart off, Malcolm grabbed Daniel's arm, "Irish, you know I don't want to have to do this."

Glaring at his new leader, Daniel waited a moment before speaking. "Yeah I know, but I don't have to like it." Then he turned and stalked off.

Malcolm and Sterling watched the angry man walk away. "You made the right decision", Sterling told him.

"Thanks, I have a feeling I'm going to need all the support I can get here", Malcolm confided in the big man.

"I got your back", Sterling assured him then he went off in search of their fallen comrade.

Wishing there was another way, but knowing there wasn't, Malcolm headed off in the opposite direction; searching for his friend and enemy.

Three hours later, just before nightfall, all four men met back up at their temporary headquarters. None of them had seen any signs of Alex or the shapeshifter that had taken her. The sun had already begun to set, and the creatures of the night would come out in force.

Glancing at his team, Malcolm realized they all looked as tired and worn out as he felt. "Okay men, let's grab something to eat and try and get a couple hours of sleep.

"What about Alex", Daniel asked, his anger having evaporated hours ago. Malcolm rubbed his forehead in consternation, Daniel was right. Alex may try to come back to the office at some point and time. They couldn't afford to be caught unaware.

"I'll take the first watch", Sterling offered.

"Fine, thanks", Malcolm said. Wake me in two hours and we'll switch. Daniel, your up after me then Jorge, you'll round out the crew. Right now, we need food; we have to keep up our energy levels.

"I figured we would", Jorge said beginning to pull items from his knapsack. "I stopped by a little store I found down the block. I picked up some stuff to make sandwiches and some bottled water", he said setting the food out on the desk.

"You're a good man, Jorge. I could kiss you", Daniel jokingly replied, trying to pull the smaller man into an exaggerated embrace. They all laughed when Jorge's face turned beet red, but it had helped ease the tension...some.


	13. Chapter 12 Making Plans

**CHAPTER TWELVE: MAKING PLANS**

Michael & Selene 

They had been hiding now for two full days. He knew they couldn't stay in their temporary sanctuary any longer. Everyday spent in any one place, was one day too many.

Selene had gone out and fed, then brought him back both blood and two steaks. One was raw while the other was cooked, well done to be exact. He figured she must have hit a restaurant somewhere in the neighborhood. At this point, everything he did or ate was going to be an experiment of sorts. But, they needed to ascertain what he could do or couldn't do; as well as figure out what he needed to survive on.

Steeling himself for an unpleasant experience, he tried the cooked steak first. After a couple of bites, he put it aside and took a bite out of the raw meat. That one did the trick. He didn't think it was going to be necessary to drink the blood. It appeared that he could keep down solid foods, but the raw, bloody steak had quenched his thirst and hunger more so than the cooked one. He wasn't sure if this was better than just drinking straight blood or not, but he would save that theory for another day. Right now, they needed to find another place to stay.

"Did you hear anything out on the streets", he asked Selene after he finished eating. She had watched him consume his meal in silence. She was naturally quiet, that was one thing he had discovered during their brief respite.

"No", she said with a sigh. "Whatever is going on, it's being kept quiet. I saw no signs of either vampires or lycans", she told him. "Well, maybe that's a good thing", he replied enthusiastically. "Maybe", she answered noncommittally.

Watching her pace through the room, he realized she didn't like sitting still either. She was constantly moving, unless she was asleep. "You know this area better than I do", he said. "Any idea where we could go?", he asked.

"No Michael, I don't. I've had only one home now for over two hundred years", she said on edge.

"Okay, I get that. Can I make a suggestion", he said, pausing for just a moment before he continued. "We could leave this country, hell, we could leave this continent. Let's go to the States." He watched her reaction to his statement.

"And, how do you propose we travel", she asked vehemently? I can't travel during the day, and we aren't sure how you'll do outside during daylight hours. Yes, it's apparent that the day sleep doesn't debilitate you as it does me, but will you be able to walk outside without burning?"

Okay, she was upset, a nervous ball of energy. He knew she had had a tremendous shock when she found out that Viktor had betrayed her. It also broke her heart to have to kill him, but what was done was done. They couldn't change the past, anymore than they could see the future. It was time for her to snap out of it and time for them to get out of town.

"Look, I have money put away in my apartment. I say we head over there and grab that as well as some clothes and a few other necessities. Then, we can steal a car and black out the windows. I'll drive during the day and you can handle the wheel at night", he said.

"How do propose we cross the Atlantic", she asked stubbornly?

"Selene, you act as if this is the 18th century", he said patiently. "We can book passage on a boat. As long as we stay inside our cabin during the day, we should be fine", he explained. "Once we reach the States, we can go to my family and get help from them." As far as he was concerned this was the best plan available.

"What if the vampires come after your family", she questioned?

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and sighed. "I figure they're already a target, if for no other reason than because they're related to me. I can't control what happened to me; and, this mess has put them at risk. But I know they'll be anxious to hear from me. I haven't spoken to them in several days, which is highly unusual. If we make our way there, I can at least warn them and let them know I'm okay", he stated.

Selene knew she was being unreasonable, and realized she was pushing him away on purpose. Michael had been innocent in all that had gone on, and she was taking her anger and fears out on him. It wasn't fair.

She reached out to him, needing to feel his arms around her. This small amount of contact managed to calm her nerves and strengthen her resolve. Pulling back just enough to look up at him, she said, "Ignore me; I'm just being bitchy. Your idea is sound, and we need to get out of Budapest as soon as possible."

"Good, it's important you see things my way", he said trying to coax a smile out of her. "After all, I am the superior being here in this relationship." She punched him in the arm, hard enough to make him flinch.

"You may be some sort of super being, but I'm older and more experienced. And it's quite obvious that I am the most intelligent one here as well. Therefore, I should be in charge", she shot back jokingly.

Humor was foreign to her; it had too long since she last joked around with someone. Her life had been about vengeance and death, thanks to Viktor. Laughter was as alien to her system as solid food. Maybe Michael would change all that.

Shaking herself out of her brief reverie, she dropped her arms and grabbed his hand. "Let's get out of here. We need to gather up supplies, some cash and find a car", she said pulling him out of the room and into the night.


	14. Chapter 13 Making Deals

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Making Deals**

Lucian & Alex 

Lucian found her sitting quietly in the chair, when he walked into the room. He was immediately on alert. She was up to something.

"How may I be of service", he asked.

Man, even his accent was sexy, Alex thought. That's just one more thing to hold against him, she told herself. Smiling sweetly, she was ready to offer up a truce.

"Listen, I'm aware that I'm in a tenuous situation here. I'm even willing to admit that you hold the upper hand", she offered benignly. "But, you obviously need me as much as I need you; otherwise, you would have drained me dry back there in the tunnels. So, I'm willing to cooperate with you; if you would be so kind as to remove these handcuffs and let me attend to certain....needs", she told him calmly. He had watched her face closely, looking to see if her emotions could be read. But her face was a blank canvas; there was no sign of the earlier anger he had heard nor any embarrassment at her current predicament.

Lucian though this to be a pleasant change of pace, but he still didn't trust her. Verbalizing his distrust, he asked, "Do you promise to behave?"

Without so much as a blink, she responded, "Yes, I give you my word that I'll not try to escape. It seems I have much to learn about my new.... peculiarities; and you seem to be the only person available to help me."

Curious about her change of heart he considered her request. Feeling he had nothing to loose, and only her trust to gain, he took a key out of his jacket pocket and walked over to her.

He knelt at her feet and unlocked the first cuff. He sat there tensed, ready to defend himself against an attack; but none came. Relief coursed through his body, as he relaxed his stance. He caught a glimpse of the newly free appendage, and saw she had rubbed the skin raw from pulling against the restraints. This bothered him. He reached for her hand and gently rubbed the abrasions.

Alex was momentarily startled; she had not expected him to be so gentle. Figuring there was a reason for this tender act of kindness, she watched him closely. She tried to discern his motives; but his face was unreadable. He just seemed upset at the red, raw scratches marking her skin. She sat completely still, not even breathing as he placed her hand into her lap then moved to free her remaining wrist. Once he had unlocked the second set of cuffs, he repeated his gentle ministrations with this wrist as well. When he was finished, he looked her in the eye, but offered no explanations. She released the breath she had been holding and watched him, confused by his actions.

"Do you always treat your prisoners so well", she asked, needing to find a reason for his tender touch.

Her voice was husky, like she had just woke up. Giving her what she considered his patented lopsided grin, he answered, "I don't normally have such fetching guests."

"A guest am I?", she queried with a smile of her own. Where the unexpected grin had come from she didn't know, but she quickly wiped the offending smile from her face.

He didn't know what he had expected, but when she smiled her entire face lit up from within. For a brief second he forgot to breathe. "Yes well", he said shaking his head, freeing himself from her spell, "A mandatory guest, but a guest nonetheless. I apologize for the injuries to your wrist, it was not my intent to further cause you harm."

His touch had spread like a small fire throughout her body and she was very uncomfortable with the feelings coursing through her veins. Needing to escape the heat his touch had generated, she used his "guest" statement to fuel her anger. After all, she had to remember he was one of the monsters, not an extremely sexy man with an awesome accent.

"Oh, but taking away my humanity was okay", she shot back working herself up to righteous indignation.

Knowing the brief moment of peace had passed; Lucian looked over his shoulder and saw she was now standing. He turned to face her, offering her the only explanation available.

"It's quite simple really, I wished to continue my existence. And, without blood I would have lain there suffering for days, maybe weeks. I am an opportunist; and, the means to my continued health was standing right there in front of me. I could do nothing else but take the opportunity offered."

She snorted, obviously not believing him. "Which is a condescending way of saying you're selfish. Did you not bother thinking of what or how this may affect my life? What if I had children or a husband waiting for me at home", she asked, working herself into full-blown argument mode.

"And, do you", he asked quietly. For some reason, the idea of her having a family bothered him. Mentally shaking off the feeling, he waited for her answer.

"Well, no, but that's really not the point", she said beginning to pace the small room. "For all you knew, I was just some nice lady who happened to find a wounded man and tried to help him. And how did you repay my kindness?" Not waiting for an answer she continued, "YOU BIT ME! Really hard. Oh and for the record, you took way too much blood, I'm still lightheaded", she complained. "And you know, the trip down your memory lane, leaves much to be desired", she said continuing her tirade.

Figuring he was going to be here a while, he causally leaned back against a table, with his ankles and arms crossed. She went on without even breaking stride.

"I thought my life was screwed up! No way mister, you take the cake. At first, I considered these little flash backs might be my memories; but, then I realized the period was all wrong. I may execute vampires and lycans for a living, but even I don't force men to watch their loved ones die a brutal, awful death such as the one I witnessed."

That thought seemed to take the wind out of her sails, because she stopped her tirade and frenetic pacing. Looking him in the eye she said, "By the way, I'm sorry for that. That was something no one should ever have to see, much less participate it."

Again she surprised him, her remorse at his pain seemed genuine. But his momentary surprise quickly disappeared when he realized what she had said. "You are paid to execute lycans and vampires", he asked incredulously?

"Oops, I let that slip, huh?" she said sheepishly. Damnit, the man rattled her like no one else could. Normally, she was calm, cool and collected. Her life, as well as the lives of others, depended upon her rationality and ability to remain the calm in the eye of the storm so to speak. She knew it was important to keep your enemies on their toes and she hadn't honestly meant to let that little tidbit of information out. He kept her off balance; she was really going to have to watch what she said. She had found a slight advantage when she realized she had some of his memories in her head. He on the other hand, knew absolutely nothing of her existence. Besides, she wasn't completely helpless; she had been killing his kind for years. For some unknown reason, Lucian seemed to throw her off her game a little. Well, she just needed to get back on track, which included finding a weapon, preferably one of her own.

Not falling for the innocent act, Lucian said, "Yes you did. There seems to be much I need to learn of you and your unusual hobbies. But before we get into that, I believe you mentioned having needs to take care of", he implied hoping to catch her off guard. But he quickly learned that she didn't embarrass easy; she didn't even have the grace to blush at his mention of her current problem.

Having forgotten her need to go to the bathroom, she quickly answered, "Yes, well, a bathroom would be most appreciated. A toothbrush and some soap would be good too", she blithely informed him. "I haven't had a shower in over 24 hours, and I do so hate to impose upon your delicate sensibilities", she replied.

"Well, a toothbrush, soap, and bathrooms are not high on a vampires' list of necessities. Did I forget to mention we were hiding out in the vampires version of a torture chamber? Then looking down at his own state of disrepair, he agreed with her, "Though at this point, I could use those things as well. Look, I know of a place where we can find these items as well as a change of clothing. If you agree to stay with me and not cause any problems, we can leave this place and both get cleaned up. Does that sound good", he asked?

She would kill for a real bath right now, but a change of clothes and a quick wash up sounded like the second best alternative. "Fine, I'll put away my resentment and anger until I feel better able to direct them at your black little heart", she agreed. Not that he seemed to have a black heart; she thought remembering his gentle touch. "Look, I have clothing and other necessities back at the place I was staying. If we could head over there, we could grab some of my things before we head to your little hideout", she suggested. If he went for it, she could probably grab some weapons without his noticing.

"And the men you were with, they won't be there?", he asked.

"If we go during the daytime, they will probably be out searching for me. We would have to be careful though, these guys are really good at their jobs, I don't want them to find me now", she informed him.

"Why not", he questioned. "I would think you'd want them to come to your rescue so to speak", Lucian asked slightly confused.

"Listen here buddy", Alex retorted, angry at his immediate assumption that she needed rescuing. "I don't need anyone's help getting rescued. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you! Besides, they wouldn't be looking to rescue me", she said, making her last statement quietly.

"If I had lost one of my followers, I would search for them", Lucian said trying to understand what she was telling him.

"Yeah, well your kind are already the bad guys. Me and my team take you and your species out of the equation. But now that you have bitten me, without killing me, my team considers me one of you. So, instead of looking to save me, they'll be looking to exterminate me", she explained.

She had lost the anger and was once again speaking without emotion. He now knew this was a sign that she was trying hard to contain herself.

"My God", Lucian exclaimed. "Just who are you people?"

Alex looked him square in the eye and said, "We're the people that ensure your kind doesn't eradicate the human population."

Realization dawned on him then. She worked for the Council. They had heard about the group but had managed to maintain a distance from them and their squads of hitmen, or hitwomen it would seem. This explained some things, but now he wondered why the Council had sent an extermination squad.

"So, why did the Council send you here?", he asked

"Oh, so you know of us", she replied. He was good, he hadn't even blinked an eye when she told him what she did.

"I no enough to keep my lycans below the Council's radar", he said evenly.

He still looked relaxed, not having changed positions since he she started her tirade. But she now could sense a tightening of the muscles. He was very interested in the Council's reasons for being here. She was just as interested in finding out why Michael Corvin had been so important to the lycans.

"I'll tell you what you want to know, after we go pick up my things", she told him.

She was good, he had to give her that. She had anticipated his reaction and was ready. Well, so be it! He would play along with her for a while. After all, she had no idea what she had truly become, and she was going to need his help. He was still in control, and it wasn't going to hurt anything to let her think she had the upper hand, at least for the moment.

"Okay, miss, we'll do it your way. We can go by your place first and get your things. If afterwards, you agree to peacefully go with me to my place", he said with a sigh, letting her think she had pulled one over on him.

Not fooled, Alex agreed; knowing the tricky lycan had something up his sleeve. He wasn't going to give up control so easily. That's okay, she would be ready, hopefully with a weapon or two of her own.

"Now be a good girl and let's go. I suspect the vampires may be looking for survivors of that little coup in the subway. I'm not quite up to another battle yet, how about you," he asked?

Unable to leave well enough alone, she piped up, "If you were to give me my weapons ......."

"Good try little one", he admonished gently.

"Hey, I was only trying to help, and don't call me little one", she retorted.

"Well, I can't continue to call you miss, and you haven't given me your name", he replied.

"Oh! You are so irritating", she murmured. "Fine, let's go", she said striding towards the door. Lucian quickly blocked her way. She glared up at him with a questioning look on her face.

"We'll do it your way, for now. Stay close and keep an eye out for vampires and lycans. Oh and do try to remember that the lycans are on our side", he advised sarcastically.

'Great", she mumbled, "I'm now on the side of evil. When did my life get so complicated?" she asked herself.

Stalking past the infuriating shapeshifter, she called out with a grin, "Listen gramps, I'll have no problem keeping up with you. Just make sure you don't hold me back. If you need my help, just give a holler", she said hoping she had irritated the hell out of him.

Now walking towards the stairs, she turned back and said, "Oh, and my name is Alexandra Douglas. Everyone calls me Alex."

Alexandra, huh, the name suits her, Lucian thought to himself. Mysterious and exotic. But not one to let an opportunity pass him by, he replied, "My dear Alexandra, I consider it an honor to make your acquaintance."

She stopped, quickly turned and glared at him, "I told you everyone calls me Alex. I haven't been called Alexandra since I was 10."

Well, I'm not just anyone, Alexandra", he said pointedly. "I find Alex... common", he said insultingly. "And I must say, you are anything but common", he informed her as he walked past her on the stairwell, looking her over from head to toe.

What did he mean by that, Alex asked herself? Well, whatever it was, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of asking. She'd either figure it out or die not knowing. Man, he's annoying, she thought rushing down the stairs to catch up with him.


	15. Chapter 14 Catching Sight Of The Suspec...

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Catching Sight of the Suspects**

ICOSA Team 

Malcolm and Jorge were awaiting the arrival of the Council members at the private airstrip they themselves had arrived at not 24 hours earlier. How, did things get so screwed up in such a short period of time, Malcolm kept asking himself.

He had left Sterling and Daniel in town, looking for signs of Alex and the mysterious Lycan that had taken her. They had strict instructions to report in every 30 minutes; but so far, they had come up empty handed.

In fact, there seemed to be no sign of any supernatural activity whatsoever. But, considering what they had found back at the subway, and their more recent discovery at the train station, the lack of lycans and vampires in the area was not surprising.

They had gone out early that morning, after having gotten a very little sleep. Malcolm had decided to check out the train station and airport, hoping to catch a glimpse of their missing comrade. The airport had turned up nothing, and they found no sign of her at the train station either. But, they had found an empty railcar full of dead vampires. The vamps had obviously been attacked by a large group of lycans: their throats had been torn out and several had been eviscerated.

This mission had turned out very little information; and had only generated more questions. Which made the current situation even more difficult. Why were the vampires and lycans killing off each other? Never had any of them ever seen such massive slaughter amongst these two groups; except during wartime. Of course, a war between the species hadn't happened in hundreds of years, and none of the current Council members or operatives had been alive during those wars.

The radio at his shoulder suddenly crackled to life, bringing Malcolm out of his musings. "No sign of Alex", he heard Daniel's monotone voice clearly reporting. Malcolm noticed Daniel's voice no longer held the tinge of anger that had been present since he had ordered their group to kill their former team member. In fact, it seemed as if Daniel had shut off all his emotions. Good, he didn't need anyone reacting emotionally should they find Alex.

"Have Thomas and Sir William arrived?" Daniel asked.

Malcolm could see a small charter plane circling above, "Their plane is getting ready to land", he answered back , "which means they should be disembarking soon. You've got about 30 minutes before you need to meet back up with us at our official headquarters", he told Daniel. "Just make sure you and Sterling are at the office when we get there.", he instructed the waiting Irishman.

"Okay, that. Sterling wants to look a little closer at some office buildings here in the city. We're gonna go through them then head on over. Out." Daniel said informing his new team leader of their plans, as he signed off.

By this time, the small plane was taxiing down the runway, coming to a stop a hundred yards or so from where he and Jorge stood waiting. He watched the two elder Council members disembark from the plane.

They waited for the two men to walk over, Malcolm noting that Sir William looked gray and tired. Thomas McMillan, walked directly over to Malcolm and held out his hand in greeting. Malcolm grabbed the offered hand and shook it. It seemed that Thomas had aged considerably since he last saw him a mere two months ago. Was it due to Alex's disappearance? Probably.

"Do you have any news"? Thomas asked dropping Malcolm's hand and offering the same greeting to Jorge.

"No sir, there has been no sign of Agent Douglas nor the lycan responsible for her current predicament", Malcolm answered honestly.

"How hard can it be to find them in a city of this size", Sir William asked irritated?

"I'm sure the team is doing all they can to locate them, William", Thomas answered unperturbed. "These men are very good at their jobs, they will do what is necessary to ensure Alex is not a threat to anyone."

"That's what you said about Agent Douglas, and look at where we are now", the other Council member reminded him. "You assured me that if anyone could find the answers we sought, it would be Alex Douglas. Now, not only do we not have any conclusive answers to our questions, but we also have a rouge Agent out there on the loose. There is no telling how many humans she may have attacked", he finished.

Malcolm noted the tight lines that had appeared around Thomas's mouth, and the way he clinched his hands at his side. He was trying to control his anger, and doing a fine job, Malcolm thought.

Surprisingly enough, it was Jorge that replied to the haughty Sir William. "Sir, Agent Douglas has not had the opportunity to turn, as there has been no full moon since she went missing. But, even if she is alive out there, I know Agent Douglas would sooner take her own life than injure or kill an innocent individual", he said objecting to the man's criticism of his fallen team leader.

Malcolm put a reassuring hand on Jorge's shoulder, conveying his approval of the young man's outburst. "I agree with Jorge, Thomas", Malcolm said to the one Council member he trusted. "I don't believe Alex would allow herself to harm another human being. Wherever she is, she will jump on the first opportunity to take herself, and any other lycans around, out of the equation." He had purposely ignored Sir William and his outburst; hoping the annoying Council member would take it for the insult that was intended.

"I concur with Agent Smythe and Agent Garcia", Thomas, said, sorrow lining his face. Turning to face his fellow Council member, he vented some of his anger, "William, we are all concerned with the current situation. But, my recommendation for Agent Douglas to lead this mission was the right decision. There is no other operative I trust more than Alex. The Council knew this was a troublesome issue going into this; there are always chances of agents in the field being injured, killed, and even turned. But with Alex being the victim in this scenario, I am confident she will take the necessary measures needed to ensure the human populations' continued safety." Then ignoring the red blush staining Sir William's face, he turned back to Malcolm, "Where are Agents Jackson and O'Reilly?"

"They are checking out some office buildings in the immediate vicinity. We are to meet up with them at HQ where we can discuss the few details and odd findings we have managed to unearth", Malcolm explained. "In fact, we should head that way ourselves, sir", he suggested.

About that time, the radio on Malcolm's shoulder blared back to life. "We have a visual on both Alex and the Lycan", Daniel called out.

"Where?" Malcolm asked looking over to Thomas. A few moments of silence followed his question. "Agent O'Reilly, we are waiting your position", Malcolm said into the receiver.

"Sonofabitch!", was the response to Malcolm's question. "They're exiting the building we've been staying in. It looks like Alex has two duffel bags with her." Again there was momentary silence on the radio, Malcolm waited patiently, knowing his team would report back to him. It wasn't' long before Daniels voice was heard again, "We're tailing them, it appears they're headed towards the subway", Daniel answered quietly. "We'll lose contact with you if they go into the tunnels", he said, advising his team leader of his intent to continue tracking them.

"Fine, keep a visual on them, but do not open fire in view of the public. Apprehend if at all possible, but only take them down if you find yourselves in an opportune position", Malcolm instructed. "We're on our way", he advised.

"Copy that", Daniel answered then contact was broken.

'Jorge, gather up weapons and let's go", Malcolm ordered as he hurried towards the car he had rented that morning. "Thomas and Sir William", Malcolm said to the Council members, "Our rendezvous point has changed. Agent Garcia and I will head to the subway offering back up support to the two agents we have there now. I suggest you two head over to the office.

"Sorry Malcolm", Thomas said keeping stride with the tall Australian, "I'm going with you. This may be my last opportunity to see Alex. But there is another consideration as well. The Council , would like to try and take her in alive if at all possible", he said.

"I can't let that happen Thomas", Sir William interrupted pulling Thomas to a stop by the car door. 'She is dangerous and a threat to every human alive. She must be put down", he said vehemently.

Thomas threw Sir William's hand off and leaned into the mans face, "I am senior member here William, don't forget that. If we have the opportunity to capture a lycan, we can discover many things about these creatures that could further help our cause. If it also means it would save Alex's life, so much the better.

Thomas turned back and jerked open the car door and climbed into the rear seat; Malcolm and Jorge were already inside with the engine running. William glared at the retreating figure of Thomas McMillan but kept silent for the moment. He would deal with the old man later. Right now, he needed their assistance to bring down Agent Alex Douglas and the Lycan.


	16. Chapter 15 Trying For A Clean Break

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Trying For A Clean Break **

Michael & Selene 

They left the relative safety of the deserted office building, for the dark of night. All they had known, all that they were, was a memory. Now, they were ready to embark upon a new future; well, at least that's how he saw it. He couldn't begin to say he knew what Selene was thinking or feeling.

So far, they had had no contact with either the lycans or vampires. They were being careful, watching cautiously for signs of either species. But none were to be found.

Michael had taken the lead, making his way to his old apartment, hoping that the place and his few possessions were still intact.

Selene was staying close to her partner, keeping an eye out for danger. Michael stopped short at the corner of his building. He peered around the corner; and, seeing no one around, he motioned for Selene to follow him.

The light in the entryway was bright and harsh. Michael blinked, his eyes adjusting to the unaccustomed brightness. Selene took one last look out into the street, making sure no one was following them. Everything appeared to be okay, surprisingly enough.

They didn't speak, both agreeing they needed to stay focused on their surroundings. They found no traces of blood in the hallway. Selene tapped Michael on the shoulder and pointed to the construction area cordoned off. There was a giant hole in the ceiling, from where less than a week ago she had shot her way through the floor above.

Michael stepped over to the elevators and started to push in the up button. Selene grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the stairs. He belatedly remembered the night Lucian was waiting for him as he got off the elevator. He had been trying to escape both the werewolves and Selene that night.

He smiled sheepishly at Selene, realizing his error. It would be harder to catch them by surprise if they took the stairs. She gave him a brief smile in return as she took the lead and made her way up the stairs. They made their way to his floor, with no problem. Michael was beginning to think this was going to be easier than either of them had anticipated.

Selene felt the tension leave Michael's body as they neared the door. She didn't allow herself that luxury. She knew the death dealers would be coming for her; it was only a matter of time.

She slowly pushed open the stairwell door. There were no lycans, nor any vampires, waiting to descend upon them. She stepped through the doorway with Michael close behind her.

Michael was the first to break the silence, "It appears our friends have forgotten all about us."

Selene wasn't so sure. "Just because they haven't popped out of every doorway, doesn't mean they're not waiting for us", she cautioned him. "Michael, I hate to point this out, but I have a lot of experience in dealing with the vampires and hunting down the lycans. I find it hard to believe that neither species holds us responsible for the death of their leaders", she said quietly.

"Maybe they blame each other", he said hopefully.

"Oh I have no doubt that the vampires are plotting war on the lycans. But I can guarantee you, I will be hunted down for my part in Viktor's execution", she told him grimly.

"Well, let's go inside and gather up what we can", he said moving in front of her and heading towards his apartment. Then trying to lighten the mood, he turned back to her and said, "Then we can get the hell out of Dodge, so to speak."

He noticed she wasn't looking at him, but at something behind him instead. "I don't think it's going to be that easy", she told him, leveling her gun just above his shoulder.

She was low on ammunition, so she couldn't just open fire, but she had every intention of keeping her weapon trained on the lycan warrior waiting for them. She would make sure each bullet she shot counted.

Michael slowly turned around; and, caught sight of the lycan that had been after him in the subway. He was a massive wall of flesh and muscle, even in his human form.

"Don't shoot, I'm not here to harm you", the shapeshifter explained in a deep gravelly voice.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't?" Selene asked, her gun still leveled at the approaching lycan.

Michael had kept silent. He knew he could shift and fight the lycan... and probably win. But he had much to learn from both species. Selene could help him with the vampire aspect of his alter ego, but there was no one to explain the lycan side. He also knew that anything Selene could tell him would be biased and second-hand knowledge at best.

He decided to speak up. Still looking at the tall black man, he said, "Back off Selene."

"Michael, don't be a fool", she said harshly. "This monster would have no problem killing us both right here where we stand."

"Normally I would agree with the vampire", the lycan admitted. "Several days ago, I would have gladly torn her apart and feasted upon her flesh. There is no love lost between our species Michael", the shapeshifter reminded him.

"Again then, I ask you why I shouldn't kill you now and have one less enemy to worry about", Selene said through clenched teeth.

"Because I asked you not to", Michael answered her instead of the lycan. "Who are you?" he asked the man in front of him.

"I am called Raze," he said by way of introduction.

"He is, was, Lucian's second in command", Selene noted out loud, recognizing the name.

"Yes", Raze said, "and now, the others are looking to me to lead those of us that survived that massacre in the tunnels", he said anger tinting his voice.

"Why are you looking for us", Michael asked.

"I will explain everything, but can we do this somewhere less, visible", Raze asked?

Michael broke eye contact with the mesmerizing lycan and looked to Selene. "I have no problem with that, do you?" he asked her.

She glared at Raze then turned that same glare at Michael. "Actually, yes I do have a problem with this", she said emphatically. "But, I can see my issues aren't important right now." Sighing, she said, "Fine, let's go inside." Then turning sharply back to Raze she informed him, "But I'll be watching you and I will shoot you if I feel Michael or myself is in any danger. Understood?"

The lycan nodded once, acknowledging her response.

"Good, you can enter the apartment first, I'll follow you in, and Michael will bring up the rear", she said, instructing the lycan to enter.

Raze walked into Michael's apartment. Selene was ready to follow when Michael caught her arm and pulled her around to face him.

"I would like to hear him out", he told Selene.

"He has nothing of importance to say", she retorted, twisting around so she could keep an eye on the lycan. He was seated on the couch in the living room.

"You don't know that", Michael replied patiently. "He knew what Lucian was trying to accomplish; he was an integral part of that plan. I'm hoping he can help me by telling me what I can expect and how to handle myself."

"Don't be naïve, Michael!" Selene said pulling away from him and stalking into the apartment.


	17. Chapter 16 Picking Up A Few Things

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Picking Up A Few Things**

Lucian & Alex 

Lucian followed her down the stairs and out into the street. She had turned and was headed east, in the direction of the tunnels.

He had been anxious as to what effects the sunlight might have on them. His eyes seemed to be sensitive to the bright light, and he felt a little weak; but, other than that, it appeared he could walk about during the daytime without any problems.

He watched Alexandra to see if she was suffering any ill effects. If she was, he couldn't tell. She was moving quickly, glancing around as if checking the perimeter for danger. He too kept a watchful eye out, but he was looking for lycans. He knew she was hoping to catch a glimpse of her team members. Whether to avoid them or confront them, he wasn't sure; but, whatever the case may be, he wouldn't let them interfere with his plans.

Alexandra was no longer a part of the human race. She was now a member of a very small and elite super species. He needed her help in order to stop the war between the lycans and vampires. That was still his goal, maybe even more so now than ever.

He noticed she had slowed down. She glanced down an alley before crossing the side street and making her way over to a building that housed several businesses. She motioned for him to follow her.

"Okay, it's daylight, so I'm going to assume my team is out looking for me", she explained in hushed tones. "Here's what I suggest", she began, "I'll go up and grab my bags. I never had a chance to unpack anything so I shouldn't be too long. I need you to stay down here and be my watch. If you seen anyone coming in, try to distract them long enough for me to get out", she said.

"That works in theory, Alexandra", Lucian stated. "But there are a couple of things wrong with your plan. First of all, I'm not aware of what any of your team members look like, whereas they will know who I am at a glance. And, if they see me, they are going to assume you are nearby.

Pausing for a moment, he looked around to make sure they were alone. "Secondly, and maybe most importantly, I don't trust you. I don't know who you are or what you do. What I do know is that you admittedly hunt and kill my kind as well as vampires. Obviously you are successful at what you do, because you have survived, and you were leading that expedition in the tunnels. I don't put it past you to either (A) try and escape, (B) try to kill me, or (C) all of the above. So, that means we are stuck together like glue. Wherever you go, I go and vice versa. Do we understand each other?" he asked.

She knew he wouldn't go for it, but it was worth a try. She was used to being the one giving orders and having others follow; it was hard to relinquish control. But until she was able to follow through with her plan, she was gonna have to roll with the punches.

"Fine, have it your way", she replied. She looked around once more before she walked through the main entrance to the building. Lucian quickly caught up to her and grabbed her hand. "Like glue", he reminded her.

"Whatever you say...Elmer", she said without breaking stride.

They walked over to the stairs and without consulting the other; they knew it was the safest choice. They walked up three flights before Alex stopped at the third floor door.

"I'm gonna have a quick look see there in the hall", she said before she opened the door. "If everything looks good, we'll take a left and go down to the last door on the right. That's where we're staying while we are here. My stuff is inside. It shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes for me to grab my bags and then we can head over to your super secret hidey spot. Okay?"

He grinned at her mention of a hidey spot. She did have a strange way of expressing herself. "That's fine, just be sure to make it fast. We don't want to be cornered here by your industrious teammates."

Alex opened the door and quickly looked around. The hall was clear. "It's good, let's go", she whispered, and then stepped out into the hallway.

"Who's Elmer?" he asked as an afterthought, following her out of the stairway.

"Shhh", Alex cautioned, trying not to laugh. He didn't get her Elmer Glue reference, good! No wait a minute, not good. Why did she let that man reduce her to childish thoughts and reactions? Well, no matter how much he goaded her, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of showing how much he affected her.

She came to a stop outside the very last door. She waited for him to make his way to her side, then she put her fingers to her lips, motioning for silence. She leaned into the door, and listened for any sound that may be coming from inside. Waiting a few seconds, she determined the guys were out. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her key. When she had the door unlocked, she quickly stepped inside, pulling Lucian with her.

Once inside, she re-locked the door and quickly looked around. It was a small space, with the only other room being a bathroom. She walked over and jerked open the lavatory door. No one was utilizing the facilities.

"Well, it looks as if we're alone", she told Lucian. She made her way over to the other side of the room, towards several duffel bags. She browsed through the bags and picked up two of the five sitting there.

'Okay, I'm ready, let's get out of here", she said moving towards the door.

"Hold up there Princess", Lucian ordered. "I'd like to see what you have there.

"I told you, I have clothing and other necessities", she reiterated. Of course, she didn't tell him about the bag of weapons she picked up. She was hoping he would be so concerned with getting out of there, he wouldn't want to look at the contents of the bags until it was too late. No such luck.

"Well, then let's have a quick look see", he said stepping closer to her. He reached out and took the bag containing her clothes. He pulled on the zipper and looked down into the bag. He saw several articles of clothing, a bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, some rubber bands, tampons and deodorant. He reached into the bag and felt around, but found nothing other than a hairbrush inside.

Moving over to the other bag, he took it from her and unzipped it. She was persistent, he had to give her that. Inside, the bag contained several rounds of silver nitrate and ultraviolet ammunition; a couple of handguns; some hand grenades and about four knifes. Impressive. He glanced up at her. Her face was a blank canvas.

"Hey a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do", she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Actually, we could probably use these", Lucian stated, surprising her. "But, I'll be the one to carry them, if you don't mind", he said with a grin.

Damn, she was really beginning to hate that lopsided grin. He used it like a weapon, and it made her stomach flutter whenever he flashed it. But at least he was bringing the weapons with them. She knew her chances of getting out of there, in possession of the bag, were slim. But, at least he hadn't looked through her clothing bag too closely. She knew there was a stiletto of pure silver hidden within the folds of a shirt, and a small snub nose revolver, loaded with silver nitrate, inside the tampon box. She hadn't expected him to bring along the second bag, once he discovered what was in there; but who was she to argue if he decided he wanted them. She would just try to gain access to them later.

"Fine by me", she said. She walked over to the window and glanced down at the street. Still seeing no sign of Malcolm or the other guys, she knew it was time to leave.

"Grab the bag pops and let's go", she advised making for the door.

Grimacing at the name, Lucian picked up the bag and replied, "You know, I really don't like being called pops."

"Well, I don't like a lot of things", Alex said locking the door. I tell you what. You let me carry the weapons and I'll stop calling you pops."

"Pops it is....Alexandra", Lucian said smiling.

She really hated that grin!


	18. Chapter 17 Looking For A Lost Lycan

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Looking For A Lost Lycan **

Michael & Selene: 

The big lycan dominated the small couch, so Michael grabbed a chair and sat across from him. Selene decided standing would give her a small advantage, should she have to defend herself or Michael. So, she kept within close range. She was making sure that if she were forced to shoot Raze, she would do the utmost damage.

Michael had a million questions running through his head, but before he could utter a single word, Raze shocked both him and Selene.

"What have you done with Lucian", the shapeshifter asked.

Michael's head snapped up at the question.

Selene peered at Raze, trying to discern as to whether or not the question was a trick. She could tell he was keeping a tight reign on his emotions. But he was angry; she could see the signs. His right hand was clenched tightly, while his left hand rubbed over the betraying fist. The veins in his neck were noticeable and he spoke as if it took great control to keep from screaming out his frustration.

Michael broke the silence, "He's in the tunnels. "I'm sorry if you didn't know, but he was killed when the death dealers attacked the lycans", he said apologetically.

"Fool, I know he was killed, I saw his body", Raze ground out between clenched teeth. He rubbed his hands down the length of his thighs, as if trying to keep himself in check.

"Well, then I don't understand your question", Michael replied.

Taking a deep breath, the lycan continued. "I watched the battle between you and Viktor. And you were losing, until the female vampire over there decapitated the Elder", he said watching the two of them closely.

"And what are you going to do, go tell the vampires where I am?' Selene asked disgustedly. "I promise you, Markus would kill you before he ever paid you a bounty for my whereabouts", she exclaimed.

The lycan carried on as if Selene hadn't spoken. "I watched you leave the tunnels, but I didn't follow. There were too many injured and dying lycans that needed my attention. We gathered up those that were hurt and moved out of the subway and over to our secondary lair." Then he paused a moment and looked up at Michael. "Lucian was always prepared. He made sure we had a safe place to go should anything happen to the tunnels", he stated sadly. Then he shook his head as if clearing away his thoughts. "Anyway, we knew the dead weren't going anywhere, so I planned on recuperating and hiding out for a couple of days. Once I felt it was safe, we went back into the tunnels to gather up our dead and bury them properly. And everyone was accounted for, except Lucian. He wasn't where I had last seen him, nor could we find his body anywhere in the lair. He had disappeared. So, I came here waiting for you to show up. I had hoped maybe you had moved him', the proud lycan said allowing his emotions to fill his voice.

"Why would we have moved him", Selene asked dispassionately.

"I didn't think for one minute you had enough respect for Lucian to do more than spit on him", Raze calmly retorted, "But I was hoping that since Michael shared Lucian's memories, he may have moved him somewhere the vampires couldn't get him."

The lycan looked over to Michael, hope mapped across the strong face. Michael hated to disappoint the man, but he had no choice.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been to the tunnels since you saw us leave after Selene killed Viktor", Michael told Raze sympathetically. "We've been recuperating from our injuries and keeping a low profile ourselves." He looked over at Selene and saw she hadn't relaxed her defensive posture any. "We came here to gather up a few supplies and to get some money so we can leave this area", he explained.

"Then, it's as I feared. The vampires must have taken him. They have probably desecrated his body and have it on display there in their trophy room", Raze declared. The control he had been trying to hold onto was slipping, and the anger he felt was becoming quite apparent.

Selene sensed the lycans desperation, and slowly brought her weapon up and trained it on the shapeshifter.

Understanding the other mans, despair, Michael stood up and gently pushed down on the barrel of Selene's gun. She shot Michael a dirty look, but didn't raise her weapon again. Instead, she kept a tight grip on it and let it hang at her side.

"Are you sure Lucian isn't down in the tunnels somewhere", Michael asked Raze. Isn't it possible, he may not have been dead when we all left? Maybe he dragged himself somewhere safe in order to die, just in case the vampires did come back", he suggested, offering a slim ray of hope.

"Didn't you hear me?" Raze asked. "We couldn't find him anywhere", he said slowly, enunciating each word as if he was talking to a small child.

"We could go down there with you and look around one more time", Michael offered. For some reason, it bothered him greatly to think of Lucian's body at the vampires' mercy.

"Are you insane?" Selene asked incredulously. "You know the death dealers are after us. Anytime we spend out on the streets after dark, is tempting fate. We should stay here, this is a lycan problem, not ours", she said throwing a contempt filled look at Raze.

"I'm part lycan, and I owe all that I am now to Lucian. It seems that the least I could do is help look for his body so that he can receive an honorable burial", Michael told her.

"I thought you wanted to get out of the country as soon as possible. What happened to that plan, Michael?" Selene spouted off. She was angry and hurt that Michael chose to side with the lycans instead of her.

Michael walked over to her and ran his hand through her dark, silky hair. Sighing he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "Selene, I have every intention of taking you and leaving this hellhole, as soon as I help Raze comb through the tunnels one last time. If you don't want to accompany us, I'll take you back to our hiding place. I promise to come for you as soon as we're finished."

"Now you must think I'm crazy", Selene snorted in disgust. "Do you actually think I'm going to let you go down into that hole without me; guess again", she said heading for the door. "Lycan", she said addressing Raze, "Let's go. I don't want to be out after dark any longer than necessary."

Michael quickly went into his old bedroom and threw some clothes into a bag, and grabbed the money he kept in his nightstand drawer. Then he followed the other two out of the apartment and over to the subway.


	19. Chapter 18 On The Run

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: On The Run**

Lucian & Alex: 

As they walked out of the office building, and onto the street, Alex was trying hard not to be bitter. It suddenly hit her that she was literally leaving her life behind. She was no longer a human agent working hard to keep the world safe from the monsters. Now, she was one of the monsters, a werewolf. And already she could feel small changes in her body, separating her even further from the humans.

The weakness she had felt, upon waking, had dissipated. Now she could literally feel the blood racing through her veins. It was like a massive adrenaline rush, without the adrenaline. And she felt strong, like she could pick up a car. It also seemed as if her hearing and sense of smell were evolving at that very moment. She could hear snippets of conversation when there was no one within five feet of them. And she caught the smell of cooking sausage, a faint whisper of lavender and.....gun oil.

Without looking, she knew her team was close by. She concentrated really hard and could faintly make out Daniel's voice as he reported in to Malcolm.

"We have company", she whispered to Lucian. She had to give him credit; he didn't turn around or make any suspicious moves. He was cool as a cucumber.

"And who would that be, my dear", he asked pleasantly?

"It looks as if my team has caught up with us; well part of my team anyway. But they've called in for backup so the rest of them should be arriving soon", she told him.

She thought they were heading back to the subway, which could either be the best place to hide or the worst, depending upon the vampires.

"Well", he said glancing at her, "let's see if we can lose them."

He quickly picked up the pace, and she stayed by his side. She didn't want to shoot Daniel, nor any of the other guys. But she didn't want them shooting her either.

"If you expect to outdistance them, we need to move at a faster pace than this", she told Lucian.

Without saying a word, he broke into a run. Momentarily taken by surprise, Alex hesitated only a moment before she put on a burst of speed herself and caught up with him. Hey, it appeared she had superhuman speed as well, cool!

They quickly left her former team members behind. But she had no doubt they knew where she and Lucian were going. She had to put her faith into Lucian, and hope the man pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

They had made it to the subway and headed down the stairs into the throng of people waiting for a train to take them to their destination of choice.

Wanting to blend in, Lucian slowed down, knowing Alex would follow his lead. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along in the direction he wanted to take. She tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, but he held on firmly. He liked the way her small hand felt in his larger one. It was small, but strong, with long tapered fingers. He had to remember that this hand was used to both holding and capably handling weapons of destruction.

They rounded the corner, not to far from where Raze and the others had tracked down Michael. Lucian threw a quick glance over his shoulder, but saw no sign of the humans that were after them. He gave a reassuring grin to Alex then jumped off the platform and headed into the dark tunnel; pulling her along with him.

Alex knew where they were going. They were headed back into the tunnels where she had found Lucian and been bitten.

"I thought you said we were going to the lycans secondary lair", she whispered harshly. She noticed she could see even better in the dark than she had out in the light. Another sign of her lost humanity.

"I assure you, we are", she heard Lucian reply.

"Then why are we going back into the tunnels", she asked?

"Because this is the only way to access the other lair", he told her.

"Now why would you make a second home so close to your first one? I thought this was supposed to be a safehouse of sorts", she said with a snort of disgust.

"Alexandra, are you going to question every move I make, every word I say", Lucian asked coming to an abrupt stop.

She hadn't anticipated him stopping so fast; therefore, she ran right into him. She felt him grab her shoulders, as he kept her from falling on her butt. She glared up at him and jerked her arms free of his grasp.

"I might", she retorted. "Especially when some of your decisions and comments seem rather lame!" she finished.

By God she was stubborn! Lucian grabbed her hand again and closed the rest of the distance between them and the underground tunnels. When they made it to the manhole leading into the subterranean chambers, he gestured for her to go down first.

"Quite the gentleman aren't you", she spat out sarcastically. "You could at least give me a weapon, ya know in order to protect myself", she said. "I mean there could be death dealers down there looking for you", she added.

He had reached the end of his patience. "Use your senses, I know they have awakened already. Do you feel, hear, or smell anything in the chamber below you", he asked in a tightly controlled voice?

She had already determined no one was waiting for them in the room; she was just being a bitch. She hated feeling out of control, and everything that was going on with her body and mind made her feel like she was caught up in a mad whirl of emotions and sensations.

"No", she replied sullenly. "But, I would feel better having my gun", she told admitted quietly and honestly.

Lucian watched her bring her emotions into check. She was suffering and this was the first time she had let him see how hard this was for her. Going against his better judgment, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the Glock semi-automatic handgun he had removed from her person earlier.

"I'm expecting you to make good decisions Princess", he said handing the weapon over to her. "I've reloaded it with the ultraviolet ammunition. So, if you were to shoot me or another lycan, it wouldn't kill us", he said letting her know he didn't completely trust her.

She grabbed for her gun before he could change his mind; then started quickly down the ladder. But before she had completely disappeared down the manhole, she looked up into his eyes, "Thank you", she said simply; then finished her descent.

Looking into those jewel colored eyes, Lucian felt the ice surrounding his heart begin to melt.


	20. Chapter 19 Chasing Alex

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: Chasing Alex **

ICOSA Team 

Daniel had called into Malcolm as soon as he saw Alex. He and Sterling began following her and the lycan, making sure they kept far enough back to not be noticed.

If his hunch was right, they were headed back to the subway. But he had noticed that Alex had a bag and so did the man with her, which meant one of them was carrying weapons. He motioned to the bag, showing Sterling the need for caution. The black man nodded, showing he understood.

Daniel made note that Alex didn't look any different than she had before she'd been bitten. Maybe they'd been wrong; maybe she went willingly with the lycan she was with.

He and Sterling had been keeping up with the two suspects when all of a sudden the lycan started running, and Alex herself quickly caught up to him. The sudden burst of speed quickly dashed any hopes Daniel had been harboring about Alex's humanity. No human could run that fast.

He and Sterling both broke into a run themselves, hoping to catch up with them in the tunnels. He should probably let Malcolm know what he had seen. But, he wasn't comfortable giving up information over the radio in front of the council members. He would wait to tell Malcolm when he and Jorge met up with them.

Sterling had pulled ahead of Daniel, making the Irishman realize just how fast a human could run. He always underestimated Sterling's speed because of his size. But the man could run there was no doubt about it. It was taking everything he had to keep up with the big man; but, he did and soon they were at the subway entrance.

They took the stairs two and three at a time, hoping to catch a glimpse of red gold hair. But to no avail.  Alex nor her lycan was nowhere in sight. But Daniel had a good idea of where to find them.

"Do we wait for Malcolm and Jorge?", Daniel asked Sterling.

Shaking his head yes, Sterling replied, "They should be here soon. That's a large area down there.  I don't want to be caught undermanned should there be more than just Alex and the shapeshifter in that lair."

"Okay, I'll stay here keeping an eye out for them; just in case the decide to exit the tunnels. You go up and wait for Mal and Jorge", Daniel advised.

Sterling turned and went back up the stairs in order to watch for their other two team members. He never saw Daniel leave his post and head into the train tunnel.

Daniel had no intentions of waiting for the others. He needed to talk to Alex before drastic measures were taken. He quickly made his way to the entrance of the underground tunnels. When he made it to the opening, he peered down into the hole. He didn't see anything moving down there, so he readied his weapon and climbed down the ladder.

He hadn't gone into the chambers when the others had. He had been left topside, guarding the entrance. The smell was atrocious and massive amounts of dried blood and body parts decorated the floor, walls, and ceilings of every room.

He swallowed the bile he felt rising in his throat. Now was not the time to loose his lunch. He needed to find Alex. He didn't know what he expected from her when he caught up to her; he just knew it was important to speak to her one last time.

He walked though the carnage, looking for signs of the living; and, avoiding the presence of the dead.


	21. Chapter 20 Group Hug, Well Sorta

**CHAPTER TWENTY: Group Hug – Well Sorta**

Subway Tunnels 

Alex was waiting for him at the bottom of the ladder; Lucian noticed she wouldn't look him in the eye. She was embarrassed it would seem.

He pulled out the Beretta 9 mm he had kept tucked into his pants at the small of his back. He wasn't planning on taking any chances. They needed to defend themselves, should the humans or vampires find them.

"Are you ready", he asked Alex.

She threw a look over her shoulder and just nodded. So, she had taken a momentary vow of silence. He would enjoy it while it lasted.

"Fine then. We'll need to make our way through the chambers and into the very back of the tunnels", he said as he walked through the doorway and into the next room.

Alex followed him; staying close enough that she could keep up with him but not too close. She needed a little distance from the unnerving man. She held her gun loosely in her hand, happy to have it back in her possession. But having it back, made her remember the original reason she and the other agents had come to this godforsaken country.

She knew Lucian would have the answers to any and all questions she might ask. But, she wasn't sure he would be so willing to share those answers with her, right now. He had questions of his own, she knew; and she wasn't sure how much she information she should share. This was the only reason she hadn't pushed him on the current situation.

She mulled over her predicament as they made their way through the tunnels. She noticed that most of the lycan bodies had been removed. That meant there had been recent activity down here by either the lycans or vampires. But so far, they hadn't encountered either species on this little venture.

She watched Lucian move through each chamber, surveying the damage but never slowing down. She could now understand how this man had lead hundreds of lycans to revolt against the vampires. He was intelligent, charismatic, and seemed to have both a physical and mental strength that was uncommon amongst the lycans she had encountered throughout her career.

Was it possible that the lycans weren't the monsters she had been led to believe? No, she had seen first hand the destruction these creatures could wreak. Maybe she had only seen the ruthless side to this species; maybe there was more to the lycans than what she had witnessed. After all, there were both good and bad people in all races, perhaps that held true for the lycans and vampires as well. It was a theory that bore some consideration on her part.

Right now she needed to concentrate on the sounds she was picking up. She lifted her eyes from Lucian's back and saw that he was tilting his head, listening. She wasn't the only one hearing the voices.

She could make out a female and two males, but they were speaking in very low tones, so she couldn't understand what they were saying. But it soon became obvious that Lucian could either hear better than her, or he recognized one of the voices. He took off running in the direction the sounds were coming from. Since he hadn't raised his weapon, she assumed they were allies, not the enemy. But she had no friends on any side. She was alone and didn't count anyone an ally. She kept her weapon ready at her side ready to defend herself or even Lucian should the need arise. She sped up herself and caught up with Lucian as he entered the largest chamber in the lair.

It was the one that held the lower and upper floors as well as a large pool of water. This was where she had initially found the Elder vampire's body, but it too had been removed. Now, all she saw was the source of the voices she had picked up.

She immediately noticed an immensely tall, black man that began to howl when he caught sight of Lucian. She raised her weapon, ready to shoot the lycan, when she heard Lucian exclaim, "It is truly good to see you old friend." The two men grabbed the other's arm just below the elbow and hit each other on the other arm. Obviously they knew each other.

She lowered her gun and looked over at the two remaining strangers. Her initial reaction to Michael Corvin was relief. He was alive. The female brought a stronger reaction, she was vampire, and not very friendly by the look of her. She would reserve judgment until after she came to know them. But first impressions were important, and the woman was dangerous while the lycan was scary. Michael Corvin, appeared to be nothing more than human, but her other senses advised her otherwise. She couldn't pinpoint what he was, but he smelled like Lucian so she assumed he was some sort of lycan; though he didn't carry the same scent as the bigger man.

By now, Lucian had made his way over to Michael. He looked him over and then held his hand out in greeting. "I'm glad to see you managed to escape unharmed", he said shaking the younger man's hand.

"It was touch and go there for a while", Michael started, "But Selene managed to save my butt and get me out of here", he said motioning to the woman standing behind him. But you, you were dead", Michael said after a moment of hesitation.

"I saw you lying there, silver snaking through your veins", Raze said incredulously. "In fact, we had come here looking for your body in order to bury it."

Alex was listening closely and storing away as much information as possible. This was a strange group to be sure. What in the world were two lycans doing hanging out with a vampire, and when did vampires start saving the lives of lycans?

"Yes well, I was saved by my own angel of mercy", Lucian explained extending his arm to encompass Alex.

"Raze, Michael, and Selene, please allow me to introduce the newest member of our little breed", Lucian said grabbing Alex's hand and pulling her forward. "This is Alexandra Douglas. Alexandra, these are the three most important people you will meet within our community."

Alex nodded at all three, hoping Lucian remembered they were going to have even more company soon. Raze gave a harrumph of acknowledgement, Michael actually said hello, and Selene just stared at her.

"She's one of you?" Raze asked.

Alex thought his voice sounded as if he regularly chewed on gravel. She kinda liked it, and what did he mean by "one of you"?

"I believe she will be", Lucian replied.

"So you did drink Amelia's blood?" Raze queried.

"Yes, my friend, thank you. I managed to get enough down, that when Alexandra happened upon me, I was able to bring myself to drink from her in order to heal", Lucian explained.

"Happened upon you my ass!" Alex muttered under her breath. Lucian laughed and Michael snorted trying to hide his amusement. She had forgotten she was in the presence of super beings.

"Well, I am happy to see you all made it through that debacle the vampires caused, but we cannot stay here", Lucian cautioned. "Come, we need to head into the secret tunnels. We will have company soon", he advised.

"Death dealers", Selene asked. It was the first words she had spoken since they had entered the room. She had an English accent, Alex noted.

"No, humans", Lucian replied. "But humans with silver nitrate and ultraviolet ammunition."

"The Council", Raze asked dumbfounded.

Alex wanted so badly to look over at the lycan, but she schooled her features trying not to give away her surprise. They knew of ICOSA.

Lucian watched Alex's reaction; disappointed that she didn't give away a thing; but secretly pleased that she was able to hide her emotions so well. "I believe so", he said answering Raze's question.

"Then let's go", Raze said taking the lead.

Michael followed him, with Selene at his side. Alex saw she still had her gun at her side as well. She wasn't as comfortable with the situation as the men were. Interesting.

"Are you coming Princess", Lucian asked Alex.

Alex started to reply, when she heard someone walking through the tunnels. She lifted her hand and walked over the open door to peer out. Daniel O'Reilly was making his way over to them. He wasn't aware of them of yet, but he was looking. Alex wondered why Daniel was alone, where was Sterling?

"Alex", she heard him softly calling her name.

Lucian had come up beside her, and watched the human male. He was calling out for Alex. Why did that suddenly make him angry?

"I need to speak with him", Alex said in a whisper. She had leaned in and was speaking into his ear, and Lucian closed his eyes when her warm breath brushed his hair.

"What could you possibly have to say to the man", he said quietly.

Alex looked out at Daniel and judged she had a few moments before he was upon them. She new the lycans were aware of the Council, so what she was about to say shouldn't raise too many questions. She sighed then said, "Look, we came here looking for confirmation of Michael Corvin's safety, that and to find out how it was the lycans came to be using the ammunition made only by and for the Council. Now that I have seen Michael with my own two eyes, I know he's safe. No longer human, but safe. And if you agree to help me find out who supplied the lycans with the ammo, maybe I can keep the Council from hunting me and putting me down.

She wasn't real sure when living had become a priority to her, but she knew she wasn't ready to die yet. Yeah, she wasn't human anymore, but other than physical changes, Alex didn't feel any different. She was suddenly hoping it would be possible to live with the monsters without becoming one.

Lucian wasn't too happy with the idea of leaving Alex alone with the human. There was too much that could go wrong. But Alex was right; they had enough problems without having the Council on their trail.

"Okay", I'll stay here while you meet up with your friend there in the adjoining chamber", he said compromising on letting her meet with the man on her own. "But I suggest you make this quick, if he has made it down here, the others should be close behind", Lucian said.

Realizing this was the best she was gonna get right now, Alex quickly made her way into the outer chamber and called out to Daniel.

"Hey Irish, over here", she said waving at the redheaded man. She held her gun out to the side so he could see she was armed, but that she wasn't ready to use it.

Daniel nearly jumped out of his skin, when he heard Alex's whiskey laced voice. He looked up and saw her waving him over. She was armed, but so was he. All he wanted to do was talk. He ran over to her and grabbed her up in a huge bear hug.

Alex laughed, happy that he wasn't afraid of her, and hugged the man she had called friend for over five years.

Daniel released her when he heard a growl coming from somewhere in the room behind them. He looked hesitantly at Alex, hoping against hope she wasn't changing.

Alex smiled sheepishly at him, and shrugged her shoulders. Not wanting to explain the ferocious sounding noise that could only have come from Lucian.

"Daniel, I have much to tell you, and very little time to do it", Alex said beginning to explain.

"They're after you", Daniel said interrupting her, "Malcolm has issued an order to shoot you and put you out of your misery as soon as a clean shot is available", he said sadly.

"I figured as much", Alex said with a sigh. "Then why haven't you taken a shot Daniel?" she asked.

"I can't believe you went from being one of the good guys to a flesh eating creature just like that", Daniel said offering up his explanation.

"I haven't", Alex commented. "I'm not saying I wasn't infected, because I was Daniel. And even thought I feel different physically, my thoughts and emotions are still the same. I haven't once felt the urge to rip into innocent people and go at them like an all you can eat buffet. I swear", she said smiling. She was trying to alleviate some of his guilt at having disobeyed a direct order.

He looked at her in disbelief and then chuckled when he realized she was joking with him. This was still Alex, just a physically modified version of Alex. Which could be scary since the original Alex was pretty daunting to begin with.

"I've seen Michael Corvin", she said bringing him back to the issue at hand. "He's alive and seems very healthy to me. And I have a huge advantage being one of them. Now I have the inside track on finding out who the traitor is within the Council. But I can't do that if I'm dead Daniel", she finished. She was pushing him, but she didn't have a lot of time.

"Thomas is here", he said looking her directly in the eye.

She visibly flinched.

"So is Sir William", Daniel went on. "Malcolm and Jorge were picking them up at the airport when we spotted you and the lycan. Sterling was watching for them topside while I was supposed to be watching the tunnels for you", he said with a grin.

"What are you going to do Daniel", Alex asked softly. She had gripped her gun tightly in her hand, waiting for his response. She wasn't going to shoot him, but she wasn't going to allow him to capture her either. She would pistol whip him if need be, giving her and Lucian enough time to get away.

"What do you want me to do, Alex?" he asked.

"Listen, give me a couple of days to see what I can find out. I'll meet you here Saturday right about this time. Hopefully I'll have a name by then", she said hoping Daniel would allow her the chance.

"All your asking for is a couple of days", he asked.

"For now, yes", Alex responded. "We need to know who betrayed the Council; and, I'm in the best position to find that out."

Alex watched Daniel war with the decision he had to make. But he needed to hurry; she could now hear the others coming down the ladder.

"Daniel, please", she pleaded.

Daniel looked at her and took a deep breath. "Go", he whispered. I'm going to shoot at the wall once you leave the room, that way they'll think I'm after you. But I will miss Alex, this I promise, and you know I never miss", he said with a grin.

She kissed his check before she turned and exited the room. "Three days Alex, that's all I can give you", he said to her retreating form.

Lucian was waiting impatiently in the other room. He had watched and heard the entire conversation. He felt a quick stab of anger when she had hugged the human, but when she had placed a kiss upon his cheek, Lucian felt as if someone had punched him. Maybe he wasn't fully recovered yet, he thought dismissing the uneasy feelings he had experienced.

Alex rushed over to him and grabbed his hand. "Let's go, the others have made their way into the tunnels."

"Do you think he will betray us?" Lucian asked as they hurried through the chambers.

He heard a gun go off behind them; and, then the sound of shouting and running accompanied could be heard as well. They needed to hurry.

"No, Daniel is an excellent shot. I've never known him to miss. If he wanted me dead, I would be", she explained to Lucian. "I've been given a short reprieve."

"What will happen in three days, Alexandra", Lucian said as they neared the last room.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it", she replied with a smile. She trusted Daniel and she wanted to live. Maybe things would work out, then again, maybe not.

They had entered a narrow room, more the size of a closet. Lucian motioned for her to follow as he made his way to the back. The room was longer than she had originally thought, and narrowed down even more. They eventually had to turn sideways in order to continue through the dark passageway. Finally coming to a wall, Lucian stopped and before she knew what was happening, he jumped straight up, easily clearing four feet.

Alex moved over to occupy the space Lucian had just vacated. Looking up she could discern Lucian's face leaning over the side. "And just what the hell am I supposed to do", she asked agitated at his sudden disappearance.

"Jump", Lucian said as he moved away from the opening.

"Remind me to kick your ass when I get up there", she retorted. She heard his laughter as she pushed away from the ground and into the air.


	22. Chapter 21 The Calm Before The Storm

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: **

Alex easily cleared the four foot jump; but then Lucian new she would. He watched her land gracefully beside him and then grinned when she flashed him a dirty look.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" he questioned her.

"Bite me!" she shot over her shoulder deciding she was going to ignore him. Instead, she walked over to Michael and Selene.

"Mr. Corvin, may I say it is good to see you", she informed him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Michael asked. He looked the American woman over, trying to place her. She wouldn't be an easy person to forget; she was beautiful, and her voice was damn sexy. But he couldn't ever remember having met her.

"No, you've never seen me, before today. But you're the reason I'm here in Budapest", she explained. "Ah, but that's a story for another day. Right now it appears that Lucian is anxious to be reunited with his family."

And he was. Lucian needed to see for himself how many had survived the attack and what their numbers had been reduced to. He was also concerned with how his old clan would react to the newest members of their group.

Michael should fit in well enough. The other lycans had known of Lucian's intent to cross breed the vampires and lycans. And they knew Michael was the key to that lifelong dream. So most, if not all, had participated in some way in capturing Michael. They all knew who and what he was.

But Alexandra was an unexpected member of the party. Not only was she one of the new breed, she was also a woman. His lycans had been predominantly male, and the females that were there, had been kept for sexual purposes. They weren't considered strong fighters. Because of her affiliation with the Council; as well as leading the team that had found him in the tunnels; he assumed she must be a competent fighter. She also seemed to be intelligent and was definitely strong willed. Alex presented a complex twist to the problems that lie ahead. At least none of his followers were aware of the fact that she was part of the Council. If they did, then she wouldn't be treated any better than Selene was going to be.

Selene, well, she was an entirely different problem. She was a death dealer, and was responsible for more lycan deaths than any other vampire in recent history. His shapeshifters would not tolerate her presence well.

Knowing there wasn't an easy way to do this, Lucian would do what he did best. He would be a leader, and tell the lycans that the three individuals with him were great assets and would all play major roles in ending this war. And he would expect them all to work and live together. There would be no other way.

"Come", he told the three of them. "The sooner we get this over with the better", he said as he began walking down the passageway that led to the secondary home of the lycans.

Alex had never willingly walked into a room full of lycans, at least not without back up and lots of weapons. Now, she had only one gun and she wasn't expected to use it. Not a comfortable situation. But she wouldn't let them see she was nervous, maybe even scared. She would show them nerves of steel and nothing less. Resolve settled over her features. She stood tall and proud as she followed Lucian down the passage.

Selene was even more unsure than Alex. She had systematically eradicated as many of these lycans as she could. That had been her job, her passion for so long. How could she expect them to accept her into their inner sanctum? She didn't. It would only be a matter of time before one of them tried to kill her. But if Michael wanted to stay, she would make the best of the situation. She had nothing else left in her life. She steeled herself for rejection as she made to follow the other woman.

Michael saw the doubt and fear wash overSelene's features; she was frightened. But she was facing these creatures, for him. Touched beyond belief, he reached out to catch her and pulled her back into his embrace. He held her against his chest for a brief moment, smelling her hair and letting it fill his senses. She was an amazing woman. "I won't let them hurt you", he promised her in a whisper.

Selene closed her eyes and let his strength wash over her. He was naïve, but she didn't doubt his sincerity. He hadn't faced these creatures in battle, nor had he ever truly faced the vampires. He had no idea what would happen when the lycans chose not to accept her. But it didn't matter, she was here to achieve one thing: Michael's safety. If she were going to die, she would do so protecting him.

"I know you'll keep me safe", she lied to him. Honestly, she didn't think it was possible. Michael was a healer, not a killer.

"Then let's face them together", he suggested. He thought they could defeat anything, together. Selene knew it was a nice sentiment, but not realistic. But she didn't want to be the one to burst his bubble.

"Fine", she agreed and walked with him hand in hand towards the lycans' lair.

Raze had gone on ahead to let everyone know their leader was alive and well. It was apparent the lycans were happy with the news, because howling soon filled the cavern. It was music to Lucian's ears, but set the women's nerves even more on edge.

Lucian had always been proud of his lineage, his heritage. Shame had never been a factor in his attempts to create a new species. Anger, betrayal, and revenge were the motivations for his creation.

He had led his people for hundreds of years; and most of that time had been in hiding. Now that the vampires knew of their existence, it was a new game. And he had a trick or two up his sleeve.

There were three of them now; well at least he thought there were three. He hadn't had the opportunity to change forms yet, but he could feel slight differences in himself that weren't there when he was simply lycan. And thoughhe wasn't one hundred percent sure,he was fairly confident that the changes in his makeup would have infected Alex when he bit her. Which meant that she herself would become what he was.

Michael was the only known successful crossbreed. Soon, he would need to speak with Michael. He wanted to know how his body had changed and what kind of strengths and weaknesses he had witnessed during the fight with Viktor. Soon.

He would also need to tell Alexandra of her true form. She wasn't aware of the fact that she was no mere lycan. In fact, it appeared that the entire Council was in the dark about his project. And it seemed that the vampires had no idea of what he had accomplished either. Which considering everything that had occurred, this was probably the only thing they had going for them.

So, for now, he would keep Alexandra in the dark a little while longer. They had quite a few things that needed to be discussed between them. Once he learned more about her involvement with the Council and what they were doing here, maybe then he explain to her just what she was.

Right now, they were about to face their first challenge and they all needed to show a united front.

He had reached the doorway and gazed into the open room. The scene unfolding in front of him brought both warmth and sadness to his soul. The surviving lycans had congregated in the large chamber. They were excited by the news of his survival; but their numbers were few. So many had been lost during the death dealer's attack.

Alex stepped up behind him and looked over his shoulder. "Hey ol timer, whatcha waiting for", she asked.

He waited a moment before he answered, "I was waiting for you and the others to catch up. I thought it would be best if we all entered together", he explained.

"Yeah, well I don't think Selene is quite as anxious as you are to greet her new family", Alex informed him.

"No, I can't imagine she is. But Selene is a warrior, and she knows that aligning with the lycans may be her only hope of survival. Besides, she and Michael appear to be fairly close, I have a feeling they will be partners in whatever they decide to do. He will help her through this rough period", Lucian mused outloud.

He was insightful, she had to give him that. But he still irritated the hell out of her. And Alex hated it when anyone could affect her enough to feel that type of emotion.

"So, what's the game plan?" she asked Lucian while they waited for the other two to show up.

"We will go in and I will let the lycans know that you, Michael and Selene will now be working on our side. Then we will ascertain our numbers and formulate a plan to try and stop this war", he surmised.

"Is this what all of this has been about? You've been attempting to stop the war between the species? It seems to me that with all that has happened over the last few days, you've managed to feed the ongoing feud instead of stopping it", Alex commented.

"You aren't aware of everything, Alexandra", Lucian informed her.

"No, you're right about that. But I was brought here to figure out what was going on. And the Council may know more than you give us credit for", she told him.

At that he turned to her and looked her in the eye. "Is that why you're here? The Council sent you on a reconnaissance mission?" he asked.

"Look, we obviously don't have time to go into the details of my assingment", she told him, "notthat I would entrust those details to you anyway.Not to mention the fact that I haveseveral questions that I need answered myself. But here is neither the time nor the place. I want your complete attention when this discussion happens. Right now, you have other concerns. Let's get this over with and then we can swap stories", Alex finished as Michael and Selene walked up.

"Be assured Alexandra, that I have many questions for you, and I am expecting to get those answers tonight", Lucian promised her.

"You'll get answers from me, if and only if, you provide me with adequate answers to the questions I have for you, Lucian", she warned him.

The small hallway was thick with tension, as sparks seemed to fly off both Alex and Lucian. They each stood their ground, neither one willing to give an inch.

Clearing his throat, Michael broke the silence, "I believe the natives are getting restless", he said pointing to the growing number of lycans trying to catch a glimpse of their resurrected leader. "I suggest we go in and let them satisfy their curiosity before they come out here.

With one last glance at the headstrong woman in front of him, Lucian looked over to Michael. "Yes, perhaps we should. Are you all ready?" he asked.

Selene kept silent, her façade of nonchalance firmly in place. Alex glared at Lucian, not responding out of sheer stubbornness. Michael once again found himself the only one out of their strange little group, willing to respond.

"I guess so", he said with a shrug.

Lucian sighed before he stepped into the room. He was looking forward to being surrounded by those that were actually happy with his state of well-being. Alexandra and Selene were wearing him down. Now he remembered why he avoided females as a whole.


	23. Chapter 22 Looking After Their Own

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:**

_Humans_

"Okay Daniel, I want the truth about what went on down there in the tunnels", Malcolm said as soon as they entered their temporary quarters.

"I gave you my report", Daniel replied.

"Look, Sir William is gone, and I feel we need to get a few things clear", Thomas ventured. "We all know there's a traitor among the members of the Council. Who it may be, no one knows for sure, but I have a pretty good idea. At this very moment, I have another priority though. I am here to bring Alex home, alive. If there is anyone here that is not with me on this, then please let me know now", he said looking at all four agents.

"I want to bringAgent Douglas back", Jorge spoke up.

"I agree with Garcia", Sterling said.

Malcolm and Daniel glared at each other, neither willing to venture an opinion.

Thomas spoke for them, "Good, so I can see we are all in agreeance. Then let us proceed. Daniel, if you spoke with Alex, now would be good to know whatshe may havesaid. If it will allow us to better our chances of finding her, helping her, we need to know."

Daniel broke his gaze from Malcolm's. He didn't want to break Alex's trust, but if Thomas was trulylooking to bring Alex home, this may be their best chance.

Sitting down in a chair, Daniel took a deep breath before he spoke, "Yes, I saw and spoke with Alex."

"Why did you lie to us?"Malcolm asked accusingly.

"Because you ordered us to kill her. Why should I feel comfortable telling you I made a deal with Alex", Daniel uttered through clenched teeth,

"You what?" Thomas asked.

Looking to the man soley responsible for Alex's career, Daniel spoke, "I made a deal with Alex. She assured me she had no intention of harming anyone. She said she felt different physically, but that she still had her emotions in checkand her thought patterns appeared to be normal. She promised me she would findthe leak, if I could give her three days. It didn't seem like a lot to ask", he finished.

"And what's supposed to happen in three days?" Malcolm asked.

Daniel looked down at the floor, trying to decide if he was betraying Alex. He knew Thomas would only do what was needed to ensure Alex's safety.

"I'm to meet up with her again in the subway tunnels", he responded reluctantly.

"So we have three days to figure out the best way to convince Alex to come back with us", Thomas stated.

"And what about Sir William?" Sterling questioned.

"We need to make sure he doesn't find her", Malcolm noted. "Jorge and Sterling, I want you to be that man's shadow for the next three days. I don't want him taking a leak that you aren't there asking him if he needs some help, understood?" he asked.

"I'll even offer to shake it when he's done", Sterling offered.

"Good, I also think we should figure out where the vampires are. Has anyone noticed they have been blatantly absent since we arrived in this country?" Malcolm noted. "I mean yeah, it appeared as if the lycans killed a bunch of them off, but I don't believe they managed to eradicate them all. And other than the lycan that bit Alex, we haven't seen any of their species either. We need to investigate the vampire compound tomorrow during the day", he said issuing orders.

"Sir William will be here soon, it will be dark out and I know he has no stomach for facing the creatures of the night", Thomas warned. "We need to be careful about what we say in front of him. He wants Alex dead and if what I believe is true, he will go to great lengths to achieve that."

"So we all agree, we're to give Alex three days and then bring her back alive", Malcolm asked questioninghis team.

He was answered with a chorus of yeahs. Nodding to Thomas, the five men had made a pact. There was no turning back now.

At that, the doorknob rattled as Sir William let himself in.

"No luck?", Daniel called out.

Glaring at the Irishman, Sir William answered, "No. I couldn't pick up their trail."

"We'll try again tomorrow", Malcolm stated.

"You aren't going back out tonight?" William demanded.

"The lycans and vampires have been laying low. We haven't seen any sign of either species", Malcolm informed the arrogant man. "But we aren't familiar enough with the city to feel comfortable trying to chase down these creatures in the night. Now if you think you can do better, I will send Jorge and Sterling out with you. Is that how you wish to proceed?" he asked the grumbling Council member.

Glancing around, Sir William knew he was outnumbered, and he wouldn't survive should he be attacked by the vampires.

"No, that won't be necessary", he muttered.

Well then, I suggest you all bunk down for the night. There are some crackers, cheese and meat here if you're hungry. Otherwise, you might want to get as much sleep as you can. Tomorrow looks to be a busy one", Malcolm advised.

Sir William watched thefive men cleaning up and getting ready to settle in for the night. He had hoped that after they all fell asleep, he could comb through their things to see if there were anything that might help him in his quest. But he was out of luck. The four team members had divided up a watch schedule and neither he nor Thomas were includedin therotation.

Frustrated and unable to do anything about it, he too cleaned up and then laid down for the night. He was the firstone asleep.

Thomas was too worried to sleep. He had to find Alex, he couldn't let her be brought down like an animal. It would be too much for him to bear. He was hoping that they would somehow find a way for her to lead a productive life. She was like the daughter he had never had, and he vowed not to fail her now. He checked his weapon and placed it under his pillow as he laid down, trying to get some rest.

Malcolm had first watch and had every intention of keeping an eye on Sir William, they all did. Now that Thomas was here, he was relieved that killing Alex was no longer an issue. He had had a hard time making that decision; and he wasn't the least bit angry that his order had been revoked. Alex meant more to him than he was willing to admit. He knewshe would never agree to a relationship with him, or any other agent for that matter. But she was special to him and he wanted her back, anyway he could get her.Daniel wasn't the onlyone happy to have the chance to help her. HeknewSterling and Jorge felt the same way. They wantedAgent Douglas back in their fold, Sir William be damned!


	24. Chapter 23 Lines Are Drawn

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:**

_Lycan Headquarters_

Lucian's appearance was met with cheers and more howling. Both human and lycan forms could be seen crowding around the returned leader.

Alex tried to keep her nerves in check. It was hard when it had been ingrained in her to kill these creatures, no questions asked. She was pretty sure Selene felt the same way, because she could feel waves of tension emanating from the slender vampire.

She, Michael and Selene stayed together; stepping back as Lucian was swamped with well wishers. She didn't want to intrude on this moment, and to be honest, she just as soon the lycans take as little notice of her as possible. But she knew that wasn't going to happen.

Even from across the room, she could feel eyes watching her every move. She had tried to be inconspicuous, but to hell with discretion. She looked around and found Raze blatantly staring at her. She assumed the big man was Lucian's right hand man; therefore, he must know who Selene and Michael were. So, she was a curiosity to the big lycan. He was obviously trying to intimidate her, but she didn't scare easily. She took the initiative and walked over.

Raze was furious. He had known Michael Corvin was going to become a part of their colony. He didn't have a problem with the crossbreed's presence. It was the two women he had issues with.

He thought Lucian was insane for bringing the female death dealer into their midst. She was directly responsible for the losses and injuries they had recently sustained. He had buried too many of his brothers and sisters to even think about allowing her to live with them. How could Lucian expect them to trust Selene, much less fight side by side against the vampires with her? He didn't understand, and in his current state of mind he had no intentions of even trying.

Then there was that agent of the Council, Alexandra. Not many knew of the Council's existence, he was one of the few that had met up with the Council and had lived to talk about it. The only time the Council got involved with lycans or vampires was when they had orders to execute them. There had never had a hit put out on him, but he knew of the Council and their reputation. They only hired the best and their motto was to take out the monsters and ask questions later. He was going to have to talk to Lucian to see what exactly was going on. He couldn't believe he had brought in the only enemies they had, and expected the lycans to accept them into their fold.

He was watching the small group, especially the woman from the Council. He wanted them to feel anxious and unsettled. He wasn't about to welcome them with open arms; they would be damn lucky if he didn't kill them before the night was over.

Alex had caught him staring at her. He didn't look away. The sooner they realized they were not wanted here, the better.

But instead of being frightened, the chick from the council began walking over to him. Raze was shocked, but he didn't move a muscle. He continued to openly stare at her as he waited for her to come to him. And to his surprise, she stared right back; never once breaking eye contact.

Alex made her way over to the fearsome looking lycan, determined not to let him intimidate her. She didn't want to be here anymore than he wanted her here. But before she could leave, she needed to find out all she could about the leak in the Council as well as Michael Corvin's importance to the shapeshifters. Somehow she knew Lucian wasn't going to be that forthcoming with information.

She moved to stand directly in front of Raze. She still kept her eyes trained on his face, but standing this close meant she had to look up to do so.

"So, what's your take on this whole scenario?" she asked him, though, she could tell by the look on his face exactly how he felt.

"I'm happy to have found Lucian alive", was all he said.

"Actually, big guy, I'm the one that found him alive. In fact, I saved his life; so to speak. So, I'm thinking you might be a little grateful that I was there to resuscitate your leader. Keeping that in mind, I'm kinda interested in knowing where I stand with you?" she asked him honestly.

He was dumbstruck. Raze couldn't believe she had the audacity to claim that she had saved Lucian, much less tell him he owed her a debt of gratitude for it.

"I owe you nothing, remember that woman", he managed to spit out between clenched teeth.

"Ahh, I see you're not real happy with the current situation. I can't say that I blame you", she informed him. "I know I'm not feeling the love myself."

"Why are you here?" he asked her.

"Because Lucian demanded I come. Well, actually, he more or less told me that if I wanted out of the chains he had me in, I would have to go with him and play nice with the lycans", she replied offhandedly.

She could actually see his temper rising. His fists were balled up at his side and his jaw was clenched so tight, she could almost hear his teeth grinding. She hadn't purposely come over to provoke the man. She really wanted to see if it was possible to strike a deal with him. Maybe he if he wanted her gone bad enough, he might be willing to provide her with the name of the Council member that had sold them the ultraviolet ammo.

But her mere presence seemed to ignite his anger. She looked him over, noting he was a big man; probably the biggest one in the room. So he was capable of doing a lot of damage. But she didn't think he would do anything in front of Lucian....she was wrong.

Before she knew what was happening, the big man lashed out and caught her across the face; with a blow to her cheek.

She took the blow standing; surprising the hell out of Raze. He had cut her lip, he could see the blood welling in the corner of her mouth. Of course, he had held back and not used all of his strength, but she still should have at least dropped to her knees, if not fallen down completely.

Damn, that hurt! Alex was looking at the floor, but had somehow managed to stay on her feet. That was a miracle. If that dumbass lycan thought he was going to be able to push her around, he had another thing coming.

When she had walked over to the shapeshifter, she noticed he carried a large knife in a sheath on his belt, as well as gun in a shoulder holster. She leaned into him, like she was going to fall. As he reached out to catch her, she grabbed the handle of the knife and in the blink of an eye, she had the wickedly curved blade resting against the lycans's crotch

"Now, that was just plain rude", she told him. Looking him in the eye, she noticed he looked wary and uncomfortable.

By now, they had attracted an audience, and Lucian was striding towards them. He looked pissed! But she wasn't letting Raze get off with a slap on the wrist. He may not like her, but she didn't deserve the blow he had dealt her.

She pressed the point of the knife in just hard enough to go through his pants and draw blood. Then she said, "Just in case you're thinking I wouldn't dare dismember your...member, guess again. I'm very good with a knife, and I have no qualms about performing a Lorena Bobbit on your big, black ass. So, let's get a few things straight. You may be bigger than I am, but it's pretty obvious that I can take a punch, even one that's pulled. I am quite capable both physically and mentally; and I'm not afraid of you or anyone else in this room. I am here under duress; and, in case your limited vocabulary doesn't comprehend the meaning of that word, it means I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. But, I am trying to behave and not cause any problems. So, if you have an issue with me, then I suggest you take it up with your fearless leader."

She said all of that in a very calm, rational voice; her tone very conversational. So, she didn't sound like she was angry, but this was the voice she used when she was extremely pissed, and just about to hurt someone.

By then, Lucian had made his way to the front of the crowd. He saw Alexandra had drawn a knife and was threatening to cut Raze. He wasn't going to let that happen.

"Alexandra", he called out sharply. "Give me the knife as well as your gun", he told her.

"Not gonna happen, Lucian", she told him, never taking her eyes or the knife off of Raze. Did he think she was crazy? If he took away her weapons, she was open to attack from every lycan present. And after having humiliated Raze publicly, she knew she hadn't made any friends.

If he let her talk to him like that in front of the other lycans, Lucian knew he would loose respect in their eyes. And right now, it was important that they trusted him. She left him little choice in the matter.

He walked over to them and grabbed Alex around the base of her neck pulling her away from Raze by her hair. As the knife came away from Raze's body, he used his other hand to capture her wrist in a painful grip. He squeezed until the knife fell from her hand onto the floor.

He looked over to Raze, "Are you okay?" he asked his friend.

"You're kidding me, right?" Alex asked astonished at the question.

"I'm not speaking to you Alexandra", Lucian coldly pointed out.

"I'm fine", Raze assured him.

"Good", Lucian told him. Without even looking at Alex he turned back to the lycans that surrounded them. "I am sorry my friends, that our reunion has been cut short. But there is a matter that I need to attend to. I will meet with all of you later and we will resume where we left off", he promised them.

Still holding her by the neck, Lucian tried pulling Alex along with him. Pissed beyond belief, Alex jerked back hard enough to make Lucian loosen his hold on her.

She stopped dead in her tracks, "If you wish for me to go with you, I suggest you ask", she informed him.

Not even bothering to look at her, Lucian called out, "Taylor, please escort our guest to my chambers. I'll meet you there momentarily."

One of the lycans stepped forward and motioned for two others to come with him. They surrounded Alex, two of them grabbing her by the arms. The third one came up behind her and together, they forced her to leave the room.


	25. Chapter 24 Knowing Where You Stand

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Knowing Where You Stand**

_Lycan Headquarters_

Michael watched the lycans take Alex out of the room, thinking Lucian had just made a huge mistake. Though Alex left quietly, she had squared her shoulders and walked out with pride stamped on every feature.

Michael had seen Alex go up to Raze and start a conversation with him. It had been a short-lived discussion though, when Raze hauled off and slugged Alex. Michael had seen no provocation for the violence. But, he wasn't sure Lucian had seen what had provoked Alex's attack on Raze.

Lucian was interrogating Raze over in a corner of the room. He knew Alex and Selene didn't have any allies in the room, but he'd be damned if Alex would be held responsible for the disturbance. Someone had to back her up, and it appeared he was the only one willing to step up.

He looked to Selene, ready to let her know what he had planned, when she spoke up, "He's not going to listen to you Michael."

"Lucian didn't see what happened. He didn't even look at Alex, so he had no idea she had been struck by Raze. He needs to be told", Michael stated emphatically.

"I agree, but I don't think he's willing to listen. He is getting Raze's version right now, along with four other lycans who are without a doubt confirming Raze's story. It's going to be their word against ours. Who do you think Lucian is going to believe?" she asked him.

"All he has to do is look at Alex's face to see that Raze took a swing at her. And do you really think Alex is going to keep quiet about this? No way, I'm betting she's gonna lay into Lucian as soon as he steps foot in that room", Michael said voicing his opinion.

Selene looked down the hall Alex had been taken down just a few moments before. "No, I don't believe she'll a word." She was right.

Alex paced about Lucian's room. Running the various scenarios through her mind. But no matter which way she looked at it, she was the guilty party. Even if Lucian listened to her side of the story, it was a no win situation. Though honestly, she didn't believe Lucian would hear her out. She knew he had made up his mind as to who was at fault, as soon as she refused to give up her weapons. Oh well, she'd known from the minute she formulated her plan it wasn't going to be easy. She had hoped she could gather her information, and get out before the inevitable trouble could begin. Now, she just hoped she could get out before she got seriously hurt.

Her pacing came to an abrupt halt when she heard footsteps approaching. She sat down in an antique looking wingback chair and willed herself to remain calm. Then she waited.

Lucian knew he should calm down before he confronted Alexandra. But he couldn't afford to waste time. His pack would be expecting him to mete out punishment as it had always been done: swift and harsh. The penalty for all of the lycan laws Alexandra had just broken would be severe; and it wasn't one he looked forward to enacting. He couldn't afford to show her, Michael, or Selene preferential treatment. If they were to work side by side with the lycans, they would have to be treated the same as any other pack member. But the thought of punishing Alex made him ill.

Why did she have to jeopardize the already tenuous situation? By attacking Raze, she had not only grossly overstepped herself she had also put everything he was trying to establish at risk. But when she refused to surrender her weapons to him, she had blatantly defied her leader in front of every lycan in the room. She left him little choice but to discipline her.

Damnit, he had expected better from her. She seemed to have such control over her emotions and reactions. But according to Raze and the other witnesses, Alexandra had been the one to confront the big lycan. And though Raze had hit her, it was only after she had stolen his knife.

Lucian quickly made his way to his room. He stood in front of the door, taking several deep breaths, trying to tamp down the anger he felt racing through his body. When he felt somewhat under control, he rapped on the door once, then opened it and walked in.

As he walked through the door, Alex could see this wasn't going to be pleasant. She knew he was angry, she could tell by the way his hands were fisted at his side and the murderous look on his expressive face. Here we go, she thought to herself.

He wasn't as calm as he had hoped he would be. Just being in the same room as the obstinate woman made him want to throttle her. He had to work off some of the excess energy, so he began pacing the room.

After a few moments of silence, he stopped pacing and spoke. "Just what were you trying to accomplish Alexandra", he asked her finally looking her in the eyes.

He winced when he saw her. Raze had told him he had struck her, but he swore he had held back. Since she hadn't fallen down, Lucian assumed Raze hadn't hit her with any kind of strength. His assumption had been incorrect. Raze had to have used considerable force to cause the damage already showing on her beautiful face. The fact that Alex held her ground, just confirmed his belief that she was like Michael and himself. His Alex was strong.

Her left cheek was swollen and a dark purple bruise was blossoming across her golden skin. Blood was trickling down from the corner of her mouth and dripping off her chin. Even though her shirt was black, he could see the blood was seeping into the material. She hadn't bothered to clean up.

She waited a minute before she answered him. She didn't know what Raze had told him, but she was pretty sure it was nowhere near the truth. So, she was going to stick to the facts.

"I went looking for some answers", she finally told him. Now that the adrenaline had begun to wear off, her jaw was hurting something awful. When Raze had hit her, the inside of her mouth had been sliced open and the taste of blood filled her mouth. At any other point and time, she would be spitting it out and trying to stop the bleeding. But surprisingly, it didn't bother her at all. She figured she must be in shock.

He watched her as she tried to speak. She had winced when she formed the words, but never issued a complaint. "I told you I would answer your questions for you later tonight. Why couldn't you wait?" he asked.

"The answers I would get from you were conditional. If I answered your questions first, and if they were answered to your satisfaction, then you might answer mine. I was hoping to find someone with fewer expectations", she told him honestly.

"So you would rather throw yourself at someone you considered an enemy, then answer a few of my questions?" he spat out in disgust.

Surprise flickered briefly in those amethyst colored eyes. Ah, Raze must have told Lucian she was coming on to him. Pig. But the surprise quickly faded away, and she sat there, refusing to respond to his question.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?" he asked hoping she would utter something, anything.

But Alex sat there quietly, knowing it didn't matter what she said.

Lucian was no longer sure Raze had told him the complete truth. He couldn't entirely believe the witnesses either. They weren't happy about Alexandra and Selenes' presence, and they were loyal to Raze. He could now admit that they would lie to him if it meant keeping Raze out of trouble and hurting the outsiders. But if Alex didn't refute their stories, then pack rules demanded punishment. There was no way around it.

He walked over and squatted down in front of her. He grabbed her hands and held them loosely in his own, looking at them as if they could provide answers. Sighing he looked up and found her watching him, confusion showing in her eyes. A piece of long, red-gold hair had worked its way out of the braid she had worn since he first saw her. He pushed the errant lock of hair back behind her ear, accidentally brushing her injured face. She grimaced slightly at the pain, but otherwise she didn't make a move.

"Princess, I need to hear your side of the story", he told her gently. "If not, then I will be forced to find you guilty and have to exact punishment", he said waiting for a response.

"Would anything I say truly make a difference?" she asked.

She looked him squarely in the eye, expecting him to give her an honest answer. He sighed again, wishing there was another way. "Fighting is allowed between members of the pack, but only in an official challenge, and only in our other form. It is the only way to maintain control and order amongst the pack; and to ensure any injuries sustained can be quickly healed", he explained. "So, when a random fight breaks out, the parties involved are punished accordingly, with the party responsible for starting the fight receiving the harshest punishment."

"So you're telling me Raze will be punished as well?" she questioned him.

His gaze looked over her face, took in the swelling and bruises, the busted lip, and those jewel colored eyes with hope flickering in their depths, "Raze and others contend he was acting in self defense", he told her.

"I see", was her response. And she did. If she were to call Raze a liar, Lucian might believe her. But, in doing so, it meant Raze would be called on the lie and that would only cause more resentment in the pack. Not to mention that Lucian would be seen as a traitor for taking her side. This would cause dissention between him and the pack at a time when it was apparently crucial the lycans stick together. If there was a war brewing between them and the vampires, then it was imperative the pack stay true to each other and their leader.

"Help me", he pleaded quietly. He watched the tiny spark of hope extinguish itself before she answered.

"There's nothing to say. Raze and the others are right. I walked over with the intention of provoking Raze, and when that didn't go as planned, I pulled the knife on him", she told him woodenly.

"This is not an offense that carries a slap on the hand as punishment, Alexandra. You pulled a deadly weapon on him, and threatened to emasculate him. We cannot regenerate that part of our anatomy, so it is considered worse than shooting a lycan." Lucian tried to explain. "And with your refusal to listen and obey your pack leader, it only added to the consequences of your actions."

"Rules are rules; I can't expect special attention just because I'm a woman and the newest member of your pack" Alex said, echoing his earlier sentiments. You have to treat me just as you would any of the others", she told him.

Lucian jumped to his feet, and began pacing again, with his arms locked behind his back. "Damnit Alexandra, the punishment for this crime is a lashing".

It was worse than she had anticipated. She had withstood torture before; it wasn't uncommon in her line of work, though she had never been whipped. She wouldn't like it, but she would live.

"Did you hear me, woman?" Lucian said stopping in front of her and jerking her out of the chair.

He had pulled her close; she could feel his anger and confusion as he looked at her. "Yes Lucian, I understand", was her reply.

Her scent filled his senses. She was bleeding and hadn't had a shower in a good while, but her essence engulfed him and it made him think of things forgotten long ago.

"The rules state that either the injured party or pack leader will be the one to implement the punishment", he told her.

She figured Raze would want the honor of flaying the skin from her back, so she didn't think Lucian would have to worry about being the one responsible. "When?" she asked.

"Soon", he answered.

He hadn't let her go yet. He still held her hands, keeping them imprisoned between them. It was the only thing that kept her from being completely pressed up against his body. She looked into his eyes and felt a tugging sensation in the pit of her stomach. The longer she stayed there, the stronger the feeling became, until she felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire. She stepped back, putting distance between them.

"Then let's get this over with", she told him stepping towards the door.

"Alexandra", Lucian said stopping her. "The first time you make the change is painful, and may leave you vulnerable. I thought you would rather change here, while it's just the two of us, instead of allowing the pack to witness it", he said hoping to help her through this as much as possible.

Alex had no intention of changing, ever. She knew Lucian wouldn't be happy with her decision, but it didn't matter. It was her choice and one she made the second she decided she wanted to live.

"That won't be necessary", she informed him and continued on her way out.

Lucian grabbed her arm and spun her around. "What do you mean?" he asked her, sighing inwardly, when she raised that stubborn chin of hers. Lucian knew this was a sure sign that she whatever she had to say he wasn't going to like.

"I'm not sure who you think you are, but no man has the right to grab me and make demands of any kind", she informed him, her words spoken through clenched teeth. "You aren't my father, my husband, and just so there are no misunderstandings later, you aren't my pack leader either. I haven't joined your pack, nor do I have any intentions of doing so. I am here strictly because I need answers from you. Once I have those answers I'm gone. So you can keep your pack and it's asinine rules. I'm here on your turf amongst your people; therefore I am at your mercy. Your lycans say I broke pack rules, fine punish me. But you cannot force me to change my form. You may have taken my humanity, but you can't take my will", she finished then turned and stomped out of the room.


	26. Chapter 25 Pack Politics

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Pack Politics**

_Lycan Headquarters_

Raze wasn't surprised that his fellow pack members had backed up his story. It was obvious that none of them were happy about the new breed being brought in. And it had only made matters worse when Lucian had brought in the two women. It wasn't just the fact that they were females it was who they were: a death dealer and an agent for the Council, both mortal enemies to the lycans.

When they had been looking for Michael, Raze had known what the end result was to be, and he had no problem accepting Michael as a member of their pack. But, he had a hard time welcoming Selene and Alexandra into the pack. He didn't trust either of them, and he wanted them gone.

So he and the other lycans were waiting for Lucian to return. They were sure he was going to confront them about the lies they had told. Raze had no doubt in his mind, the woman would cry and use feminine wiles to get Lucian on her side. If it came down to it, he and the others would refute her story. This would tell them where Lucian stood.

Michael and Selene stood alone on the other side of the room; waiting for Lucian as well.

"You know, this could get ugly", Michael said to Selene, speaking barely above a whisper. He had been watching the lycans, and it seemed they were anticipating a fight.

Selene had been keeping an eye on the shapeshifters as well. But she was waiting to see if they would become a direct threat to hers and Michaels' safety.

"The longer Lucian is with Alex, the bigger the chance of the lycans not getting what they want", she said acknowledging his comment.

"Do you think Lucian will be angry with Raze for lying?" he asked her.

"I don't think it will come down to that", she answered.

"What do you mean?" Michael asked turning to look at her. She was watching the lycans closely. She didn't appear nervous, just cautious.

"Lucian has successfully lead the lycans for over 600 hundred years. You can't be as strong a leader as he is, without realizing you have to give on some things. He is intelligent and a good leader, but this is a test of sorts for him", she began explaining. "Yes, the pack is happy he's alive and they're grateful he's back. But, they don't want us here. They see Alexandra, you and I as a threat to their respective places in the pack. They are waiting to see what Lucian will do about the fight and how he's going to handle any punishment that is to be handed down", she said finishing her little speech without ever taking her eyes off the lycans.

"Alex is to be punished for this?" Michael asked incredulously.

"Probably", Selene answered honestly.

"And will Raze?" he wondered out loud.

"Probably not", she replied.

"Why the hell not", Michael shot back at her.

Selene sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be easy for Michael. His sense of human justice was offended. He had never lived a life where you had to literally fight for survival. She knew what Lucian would have to do. Even if he believed Alex was innocent, he couldn't justify putting his place amongst the lycans in jeopardy. If he called Raze and the other lycans liars, he would be cutting his own throat. And right now, none of them could risk that big a rift in the pack. They would have to stand together if it came down to a fight with the vampires. And Selene knew that was what was going to happen.

"Michael, like it or not, Lucian will have to punish Alexandra. I'm sure the lycans have a very strict set of codes that must be obeyed at any cost. The vampires do, and the lycans were members of the vampire's household at one point in time. If they didn't have these codes, then anarchy would rule; and, they would have been exterminated by the vampires long ago", she told him patiently.

Disgusted, Michael ran his hand through his hair impatiently. "How is Alex supposed to know these rules? I don't. And she didn't do anything but talk to Raze. He struck her first, she only retaliated in self-defense", he railed.

"I'm not disagreeing with you Michael", Selene assured him. "But, I have a feeling our Alexandra will understand the pack politics at work here, even if you don't. If she says the lycans are lying, how can she prove it? We can testify on her behalf, but like I said earlier, it is our word against theirs. They win by sheer numbers alone. All her story would do is divide Lucian's loyalties. And then, the lycans will believe they have justification for not fighting with us with the vampires attack.

"That's not fair", Michael said slumping down in a chair, defeated.

"No, it's not", Selene agreed.

She had been keeping an eye on the lycans, and they suddenly perked up. They closed ranks behind Raze ready to support him however he may need it.

Alex came storming into the chamber, Lucian close behind her. And by the looks on their faces, things didn't go well.

Selene watched the lycans tense up, ready to take on the outsider. But they needn't have bothered. It wasn't necessary, just as she had thought.

Alex looked Raze directly in the eye and said, "So, where does this punishment thing take place?"

Raze couldn't believe what he was hearing. The woman hadn't denied his claims. She was actually willing to take whatever punishment was called for. Lucian must not have told her what the penalty would be. Relishing the look of dread upon her face, he decided he would gladly fill her in.

"You will receive ten lashes, in front of the entire pack", he said, waiting for her to cry out in despair. .

Instead of Alex it was Michael that gasped loudly. "You're kidding, right? Lucian, tell me he's joking?" Michael asked the man with whom he had shared his past memories. He knew the vampires had beaten Lucian, before they killed Sonja. Michael couldn't imagine him letting someone else be subjected to that kind of torture.

"Don't worry my newest brother", Raze informed him with a smile. "She will be whipped in her animal form. The pain will not be as bad and she will heal within 24 hours."

"Lucian", Michael said, asking for confirmation.

"It is out of my hands, Michael", the lycan leader said. "Alexandra has confirmed Raze's story and has willingly agreed to the punishment; hoping to gain peace among the pack"; he said looking pointedly at Raze.

Selene had been watching Alexandra, and noticed the woman didn't even flinch when her punishment had been announced. She had been aware all along. Selene was impressed with the American's poise and strength. This was not a woman to be underestimated.

Raze on the other hand was disappointed by Alexandra's lack of response. Her face was battered from his earlier attack, but no tears were apparent. And, it didn't look as if she had pleaded with Lucian for a lesser sentence. Fine, she wanted to play tough, he would exact revenge for the humiliation he had been made to suffer at her expense.

"Follow me", he called to Alex, and then he turned on his heel and stalked out of the chamber.

Before anyone could stop her, Alex was close on his heels. Lucian hurried to catch up with them with Michael and Selene at his side. The remaining lycans filtered out of the room, knowing there was no reason to hurry. Raze would wait till they were all there. Then, he would drag out the sentence, enjoying the American woman's pain and suffering.

Walking down the hallway, Michael tried talking some sense into Lucian. "She didn't do anything to provoke Raze's attack. For your information, he attacked her and she acted in self defense", he told Lucian.

"I am aware of what took place, Michael", Lucian ground out, trying to keep on eye on Alexandra.

"Then why are you allowing this mockery take place?" he asked in surprise. He had been sure that Lucian wasn't aware of Alex's innocence in matter.

"Have you not explained pack politics to him", Lucian asked Selene, both surprised and angry at Michael's persistence.

"I did", Selene informed Lucian. "But an American sense of justice is strongly instilled in him. He thinks this is unfair, and therefore shouldn't be allowed."

"He's right", Lucian muttered. "This is unjust even among the lycans. But Raze and the others have left me no room for allowing Alexandra leniency. And Alexandra herself refuses to refute Raze's version of what happened", he explained to them.

"As leader, you should just tell the lycans that Alex is innocent and that no punishment is necessary", Michael threw at Lucian.

"If it were that simple Michael, believe I would do it. But, it isn't", Lucian stated. "The vampires are at our door, ready to eradicate the lycans. And as soon as they learn of us crossbreeds, they will attempt the same with us. Not to mention, we have the Council in our backyard, so to speak. That is the international group Alexandra works for. She was leading a team looking for you Michael, when she found me and I bit her. The Council doesn't know why we wanted you, but they came here to find out. They are not a group to be trifled with either. They kill both lycans and vampires without blinking an eye. Now, without the support of the lycans, I fear none of us will survive our current situation. So, if you have any logical suggestions as to how to end this argument, without alienating the lycans, let me know. Because if you do, I am more than ready to listen", Lucian finished as they entered what could only be called an arena of sorts.


	27. Chapter 26 Taking It Like A Man

**CHAPTER TWENTY- SIX: TAKING IT LIKE A MAN**

_Lycan Headquarters_

She was following Raze through a maze of tunnels, ending up in a room that looked like a fighting arena. Alex didn't know whether to be relieved that it was almost over, or scared as to what was about to happen.

She looked around the room and saw that swords, knifes, axes, maces, as well as many other weapons she couldn't identify, were displayed along the entire length of one wall. Weeeell, it appeared the lycans seemed to take their torture and challenges pretty seriously.

Directly opposite the weapons wall, Alex found two steel poles sticking out of the ground. Attached to each pole were chains. She figured this must be where she was expected to stand, so she calmly walked over to the poles and took her place.

Lucian's heart was in his throat. When he walked into the room, he found Raze pulling down two of the four whips that graced the wall. He glanced about sharply and found Alexandra standing by the whipping posts.

He fought the urge to go over and comfort her. Vaguely he realized she never got the bathroom break she had requested hours earlier. One of many promises he seemed unable to keep.

Michael and Selene went to stand by her side. They began speaking to her; he could hear Michael trying to convince her this wasn't necessary. But his Alexandra was aware of what needed to be done. How he wished it could be different, but Raze's deception and Alex's stubbornness lead them to this point, and nothing could be done about it.

But he had a few things he wanted to say to Raze, so he needed to confront his lieutenant before the lashing began. So he walked over to the lycan as he was getting the feel of the whips in his hands.

He didn't realize he had begun calling Alex "his" in his thoughts.

"Alex, please don't do this", Michael pleaded. "Tell Lucian the truth and you won't have to be subjected to this."

Alex looked at Michael, and knew he would never understand how thin the ice was they were skating on. She glanced at Selene and thought she saw respect in the female vampire's eyes. Selene knew what would happen should Alex refute Raze's version of things.

"It's done Michael, there's nothing else to be said", Alex told him. But knowing he felt responsible in some way and helpless to do anything about it; she put her hand on his arm, "Michael, there isn't anything you can do now, but after this, I have a feeling I will need your help. I've never received lashes before, nor have I ever witnessed it, so I'm not sure what kind of pain to expect. But as a doctor, I'm hoping you will be there to clean up whatever damage Raze might inflict", she asked hopefully.

"I've never worked on animals, but I will do what I can", he promised her.

"Thank you, but you won't have to worry about working on a lycan. I'm not changing", she told them.

"Have you lost your mind?" Selene asked sharply.

"No", Alex responded.

"You won't suffer as badly if you make the change", Selene told her.

"I know, but my human form is all I have left. I won't be forced to change just because it will make them feel better about punishing me", she said, her voice brooking no further questions. "My supposed indiscretion was done as a human; my punishment will be received as a human."

"While admirable, I still think you're insane", Selene said with real respect lacing her voice. "Come Michael, let's ask Lucian where they will take her to recover. You will need to be ready when they bring her in", she told him.

Alex knew what Selene was doing. She was getting Michael out of the room, knowing it would kill him to see her being flogged. "Thank You", she mouthed over Michael's head to Selene.

"We'll be waiting for you", Selene assured Alex. Then they made their way over to Lucian.

They walked in mid sentence on the discussion Lucian was having with Raze.

"…and I'm telling you, she never told me any differently. So, punishment will be inflicted upon her, on your word. Nothing will change that. But what I want to know, is if an innocent woman is being held responsible for something she didn't do?" Lucian said. He had moved in close so he was literally in Raze's face.

Raze held himself in check, angry with Lucian for taking up for the woman, and mad at the woman for putting him in this position. Later, he would admit that he himself had been the only one to put himself in this predicament; but for now, he held it against her.

"You saw her Lucian, she held a knife against my manhood. She was threatening to cut it off. And, she disobeyed you when you told her to relinquish her weapons. What more evidence do you need", he asked Lucian.

Raze had made his little speech without ever looking Lucian in the eye. Which told Lucian all he needed to know.

"Very well, Raze, you have the option of administering the blows yourself, or I will do it, whichever you prefer. But be aware that Alexandra has no intention of changing. She will take the lashes in her human form", Lucian told him.

Raze finally looked at Lucian, but he did so with horror dawning in his eyes. "Why? Surely she knows it will be easier to take in her animal form", Raze said amazed and confused.

Michael spoke up before Lucian could reply, "Oh yes, she's aware. But she contends that she was in human form when the rules were violated, therefore, she'll take the punishment in that form as well."

Raze tore his gaze form Lucian's and looked over at the American woman awaiting her punishment. He looked back to Michael, "But she'll turn once the flogging is completed, yes?" he asked.

"No", Selene answered for Michael. "Lucian, she has asked Michael to tend to her injuries, afterwards", she said letting the leader know what Alex had requested.

"Which is why we're here", Michael said. "I need to know where you will be bringing her, once this debacle has ended", he said in disgust.

Closing his eyes against the vision he was receiving of Alex, torn and bloody, Lucian answered, "I will bring her to my room. You can take care of her there."

"I will need antiseptic, antibiotics, clean water and bandages", Michael told him, making a list of the things he would need in order to properly care for his patient. He couldn't accept what was about to happen, but by moving into doctor mode he would best be able to help Alex when she needed him most.

Lucian searched among his pack, looking to see if any of them were feeling badly about what was about to happen. He found what he was looking for, actually in more of them that what he would have figured. But one in particular looked very ill at ease.

"Micca", he called out to one of the younger pack members.

The young lycan came over to him, looking up at his leader sheepishly, "Yes, Lucian?"

Lucian offered a crooked grin to the lycan, "Can you please show Michael where he might find medical supplies and anything else he might require. Then take him to my quarters", he asked of his pack member.

Looking relieved, the younger man answered quickly, "Yes sir, no problem." Then he spoke to Michael, "If you'll follow me, I'll take you where you need to go."

Michael looked at Lucian one last time before he followed the lycan. Selene wasn't so quick to leave.

"You aren't going with him?" Lucian asked the vampire.

Selene surprised him. "She has no allies here Lucian", she began, "I thought it might be easier on her if I were here for her."

"I agree, thank you", he told her remorse filling his voice.

"She understands why this has to happen", Selene tried reassuring the man she had only come to realize was truly a living legend.

He was thoughtful for moment before he responded, "Yes, but I'm not sure that I do", he told Selene with a very sad smile.

She stayed by his side, silently offering support. Strangely grateful, Lucian turned back to Raze. "So, are you ready?", he asked.

He had begun to feel guilty about what he had done to test Luican's loyalty to the lycans. But he knew it was to late to stop the mess he had made. All he could do was nod to Lucian that he was ready.

Lucian took a deep breath, then walked over to Alexandra. When he had made it to her side, he looked at her and had to ask one more time. "Are you sure you won't make the change?" Knowing her answer before she said it, he waited with a heavy heart.

"I've made my choice Lucian", she told him quietly, unable to meet his gaze.

"Very well then, we need to remove your garments", he whispered to her.

Her head jerked up, causing Lucian to wince. The bruising had gotten worse, but the bleeding had stopped. He didn't know which was better, but decided that in a few minutes, her facial injuries would be insignificant. He made himself concentrate on the moment at hand, and tried to explain why it was necessary to disrobe.

"When the change is made, your clothes are ripped and torn off in the process. If you were to be lashed with your clothes on, the material will embed itself into the wounds. This could lead to infection. It will also make Michael's job more difficult, as it will be harder and more painful to clean your wounds if he has to dig in there for pieces of your shirt", he explained.

"I see", Alex answered. She had never been huge on modesty, but the idea of disrobing in front of a room full of lycans, unnerved her.

She turned her back to the strangers eagerly awaiting her lashing. She pulled her shirt over her head; grateful she didn't have any buttons to undo. In her current state, she wasn't sure her shaking hands would allow her to unbutton them. Then she realized she would have to undo the hooks on her black lace bra. She reached around her back and grabbed hold of the clasp, trying to keep her hands steady. After a couple of tries, and hearing snickers from the audience, she was ready to give up.

"To hell with it", she muttered under her breath.

To her surprise, she felt warm fingers pushing aside her hands. Then those same fingers undid the clasp for her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Lucian looking at her back with a profound sadness in his eyes.

She quickly averted her gaze and looked forward, before she broke. She could not afford to show weakness to the lycans. They would see it as one more thing to hold against her.

She clutched her bra to her chest for just a moment, gathering together her courage. With an inward sigh and a deep breath, she handed her clothes over to Lucian. Then she moved to stand between the two poles.

Lucian handed Alex's clothes to Selene; then walked over and picked up one of the chains. Gently taking Alex's left hand, he closed the cuff around her wrist.

"Ya know old guy, I like a little kink in my sex, just as much as the next guy. But how about the next time we use chains, it's you that's topless and me putting the cuffs on", Alex said jokingly, trying to ease both his nerves as well as her own.

Lucian gave her _the crooked grin_. She realized she hadn't seen it in a couple of hours. Considering the events that had taken place throughout that time frame, she figured it was as good as it was gonna get.

He surprised her, "I'll take you up on that offer, once you feel up to it." After which, he placed the second cuff around her right wrist.

It was done. She was firmly locked in place, and wasn't moving until he released her. He couldn't buy her anymore time, but he hesitated before he moved away. No longer caring what the lycans thought of his treatment of Alex, he leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Be strong, Princess."

Then she was alone, standing at the front of the room, waiting for the inevitable. The silence was unnerving, but here was nothing to be done about it. Wishing they would hurry up and get this over with, she caught a glimpse of something off to her left. She looked over and saw Selene standing there. Surprised, Alex nodded in her direction. Selene nodded back, but stayed right where she was.

She waited, the anticipation killing her. She could hear Raze and Lucian arguing in the background; then there was nothing but the sound of the whips brushing the floor.

"Eight lashes has been agreed upon", Lucian called out.

Alex waited; listening to the swishing of the whips, when suddenly it stopped. Then she could hear the whip as it sliced through the air then tore through the skin on her back. She jerked and had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming; the pain was excruciating. Now she understood why it was such an effective tool of torture.

She didn't have time to ponder the agony though, because the second lash soon followed the first. She inhaled sharply as the whip cut through the tender flesh. She somehow managed not to cry out in pain. She glanced over at Selene and saw the woman watching the situation intently. Alex gave her a thumbs up sign; trying to show her that she was holding up okay. But her optimism faded fast.

When the third lash broke across her back, she felt bile burning the back of her throat as she forced herself not to throw up. Instead, she bit the inside of her cheek, reopening the wound she had received earlier from Raze. Blood filled her mouth and surprisingly helped push down the nausea.

She was thinking that at least her face didn't hurt so bad, when she heard the crack of the whip. By the fourth lash her back felt as if it was on fire; and, she found herself growing faint. She was halfway there.

The fifth lash brought on whimpering and she forced herself not to scream as tears began making their way down her face. There was no room for fresh lashes, so it had cut across the blows Raze had already placed on her back.

With the sixth lash, she nearly lost consciousness. She could actually feel the muscles ripping open as the whip dug deep into the previous wounds. The seventh lash produced blackness at the edge of her vision and a low moan was torn from her mouth.

She glanced over at Selene again, looking for a little strength. A single tear could be seen falling down the vampire's cheek. "Just one more", she tried saying to Selene, but no sound came out. Then the eighth lash was made and Alex strained against the chains, before she fell to her knees.

Her head dropped against her chest, she found it was too big an effort to keep holding it up. Her vision was blurry and it was all she could do to stay conscious. Soon, she heard footsteps approaching; then two boots appeared in front of her downcast eyes. She tried to look up, it seemed important to see Lucian's face, but it would seem that her body wasn't listening to her brain.

Suddenly, her chains were off; but before she could fall to the ground, Lucian pulled her up against him. She caught a glimpse of his pale face and she tried to smile. "It wasn't too bad", she managed to squeak out, then she let the darkness overtake her.


	28. Chapter 27 Mending Wounds

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - Mending Wounds: **

Lucian had stood there and watched Raze flay open Alex's back; each new wound tearing him up inside.

But, Alex had stood strong. He would catch a gasp, or a whimper every now and then, but otherwise, she took the lashing with both pride and grace. It was only after the seventh lash, when she moaned, that he had nearly lost it himself. When she collapsed after the final lash, he was grateful. At least she couldn't feel the pain while she was unconscious.

He walked over to the whipping posts and undid her chains. Then he bent over and brought her up tight against his chest. It was then that he realized she was still awake. Her face was pale, and tears could be seen in her eyes. But she attempted a smile and told him it hadn't been so bad. Then mercifully, she passed out.

By then, Selene had made her way over. "I have never seen anyone handle that as well as she did", Selene offered up in praise. Lucian was still looking down into Alex's drawn features. But when he finally glanced over at her, Selene could see the pain he felt at having been instrumental in what had just occurred.

He needed to get Alexandra to Michael. Knowing it would hurt her back if he were to carry her conventionally, he gently put Alex over his shoulder.

Ready to leave, he turned to Raze and the other pack members. "Has your curiosity been satisfied?" he asked anger tingeing his voice.

The lycans had grown silent when they realized Alex meant to take the punishment as a human. Her strength humbled them and made them ashamed of how they had reacted.

But none were more ashamed than Raze, who had assumed the worst of this woman and had been put in his place by her courage. "Lucian", he called out to his leader. "I would like…

His sentence trailed off as Lucian glared at him and interrupted, "Right now Raze, I'm not much interested in what you would like to do."

Turning back to the rest of the pack he said, "I am disgusted with myself for allowing this to happen. I let you push me into punishing an innocent woman. She never called you on your lies; instead she admitted that the entire confrontation had been her fault. So forgive me if I seem distant and cold at the moment. I have an injured pack member to care for and my own guilt to deal with. Do not disturb us." Finished imparting instructions to his pack, he left the chamber.

Raze watched his leader leave, knowing he had lost the respect of his friend. But he also realized he deserved the reprimand Lucian had given him and more. He didn't know how to fix the damage he had caused, but he was determined to try.

"We have a lot to make up for here", he called out to the room full of lycans. Looking at them, he knew they felt as guilty as he did.

"What do you suggest we do?" Taylor asked.

Sighing, he rubbed his hands over his face wishing he could just wipe off the shame he felt. Turning to his pack he said, "I'm not sure there's anything we can do to make this right, he told them honestly. "But we need to try, so if anyone has any suggestions, speak up."

Selene followed Lucian to his chambers. She could see the blood running like rivers down Alex's shoulders and onto Lucian's jacket. She was please with how well the American had held up under the lashing. If she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that she wasn't sure she could have been as strong as Alex had been. Now, they had to get her cleaned up and hopefully Michael could help keep the scarring down to a minimum. She knew that Alex's newfound strengths and abilities would help her heal faster than if she were a mere human. But, it would still be painful until it had healed completely.

She figured they must be nearing Lucian's chambers, because they he had slowed down. She looked over to see him stopping in front of a large door. She moved in front of him and pushed it open, allowing him to carry Alex inside without having to jostle her around.

Inside, Michael stood next to a hot plate that had a pan of water boiling on it. He was busy arranging the supplies but stopped when he caught sight of Lucian carrying Alex into the room. He immediately saw the damage done to Alex's back. It wouldn't have been possible to ignore the sight that dominated his vision. Her skin was literally flayed from her back; muscle showing through the deeper lacerations.

"Put her over there", Michael told Lucian, indicating the bed.

Lucian walked over and lifted her off of his shoulder, and laid her face down on his bed. He looked at his hands realizing they were covered in her blood.

"It's in your hair and all over your jacket as well", Selene told him, as she watched him discover the blood.

"My God, she's a mess", Michael said in disbelief.

Just then, Micca walked into the room and cried out in horror when he saw Alex's prone form lying on the bed.

This seemed to pull Lucian out of his reverie. He looked sharply over at Micca and took the bandages he had brought in. "Micca, make sure no one disturbs us", he told the younger lycan.

Micca tore his gaze away from the blood soaked mess that had been Alex's back and looked into his leaders face. "How did she survive that?" he asked his voice trembling in shock.

"I have to ask the same question", Michael said disgustedly. He had moved to sit by Alex's side and looked at the mutilation that confronted him.

Lucian glanced over at Alexandra. She hadn't awakened yet, thank God!

"She never cried out nor uttered a word", he offered up as an explanation to both men.

"She did well", Selene said, adding her opinion into the mix.

Michael sat there looking at the destruction Raze had wreaked upon the small woman's back. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm going to need some help here."

Lucian made to move forward, but Michael stopped him. "You need to clean off your hands before you touch anything; Selene, you too. I'm afraid it may take both of you to hold her down, should she wake up", he told them both.

Lucian walked over to the bathroom that was connected directly to his quarters. He washed his hands thoroughly, using the antibacterial soap Michael and Micca had brought from the infirmary. He didn't want to take any chances that he might bring further harm to Alexandra. Then he moved out of the way so that Selene could do the same. Then he hurried back into his room, ready to help Michael any way he could.

Michael had sat there for a moment, shaking his head at the mess he had to try and clean up. By the time Lucian and Selene had finished cleaning up, he was ready to start the long process.

"Lucian, bring over the two bowls of water I have cooling over on the dresser", he said ordering about his two helpers. "Selene, I need you to hand me the washcloths Micca brought in.

While waiting for his supplies, Michael picked up Alex's long red gold braid and pulled it up so that it rested above her head on the pillow. He noticed it had blood running through it; they would worry about cleaning that up later.

When he had the materials he needed to start, he picked up the washcloth and submerged it into the water he had already sterilized. Once it was thoroughly wet, he took it out and gathered up his courage as he gently began cleaning the blood off of Alex's back.

The process was a lengthy one, as the wounds were still fresh and the deeper ones continued to bleed. He would gently wipe off the blood until the cloth couldn't hold anymore of the liquid. Then he would rinse out the rag in a clean bowl of water that Selene continued to change out after each cleaning. Lucian would wipe off Alex's face with a cool cloth, as she began breaking out in a cold sweat. Michael was beginning to think the bleeding would never stop, but eventually it did. Thankfully Alex had stayed unconscious throughout the whole process. It was bad enough that she moaned and jerked in pain while she was still passed out; he wasn't sure what he would have done if she had awakened.

Then knowing the worst was yet to come, he took a deep breath and grabbed the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. He needed to clean out her back as best as possible. He uncapped the brown bottle and slowly poured it's contents over the lacerated skin. You could hear the hissing and bubbling as the liquid did its job. Normally it wouldn't have stung, but the lashing had cut so deep in some areas, pain was inevitable.

A moan escaped from Alex's mouth and Michael looked over to see that she was beginning to come to. He looked up at Lucian and noticed that the lycan leader was aware of the situation as well.

"I need you to keep her still", Michael spoke in a low voice, trying not to disturb his patient. "It's imperative she not reopen these wounds and start them bleeding again. If that happens, we'll have to start the whole process all over", he warned Lucian.

Lucian moved over so that he was sitting on the floor close to Alex's head. He leaned forward and whispered softly, "It would seem that our Sleeping Beauty has decided to come awake."

Alex moaned again. She could feel someone, she assumed Michael, pouring something that burned like the very devil over her back; which by the way felt like ground hamburger meat. A wave of nausea washed over her.

Lucian noted she had paled considerably and knew she was trying to ignore the pain. "Now, you know you're not supposed to waken until Prince Charming has come along with a kiss", he told her, trying to get her to concentrate on him and not what Michael was doing to her back.

Appreciating his attempt to distract her, Alex snorted, "I know I'm no longer human, but even a lycan can't be expected to wait that long", she replied. Unfortunately, her little quip didn't come out as strong as she had hoped it would. She sounded weak and pathetic even to her own ears.

Lucian chuckled at her sharp-witted retort; she was quick even when she didn't feel up to par. He would have to remember that. "Oh how you have wounded my manly pride", he replied.

She winced, causing Lucian to look over her shoulder to see what Michael was doing now. He finished dousing her back with the last of the hydrogen peroxide. Now he began pulling on medical gloves, getting ready to spread her back with some sort of cream.

He quickly turned his attention back to Alex though when she began speaking. "So, is this your idea of properly introducing the newest woman in your life to the family? Cause if so, I gotta tell ya, I can see why you're still single after all these years", she said jokingly.

He knew she was being sarcastic; but it still rubbed Lucian the wrong way. She was right; their treatment of her had been abominable. Guilt tearing at him, he averted his gaze, unable to look at her.

Realizing she had pushed too far, Alex mentally kicked herself. "Well it would have to be a mental ass kicking, right Alex", she said to herself then. "You won't be able to perform any other kind of kicking anytime soon. Then she sighed, wondering why she felt bad about Lucian feeling bad.

"Alex, I am sorry about all this", Lucian said apologetically, gazing into her eyes.

Damn, he was good at the apology thing; he sounded so sincere. It made staying mad at him even harder. But she did have a right to be angry. Yes, she could understand that with all that had happened, Lucian couldn't back out of the corner he had been pushed into. But, if he had just been upfront with her to begin with, maybe this whole situation could have been avoided. But nooooooo, he had to have the upper hand and make her answer his questions first.

"It's a little late for sorry isn't it?" she snapped back. Her patience was running thin, her back and face hurt terribly, and she was in a fairly emotional state at the moment. And was it just her or was it awfully hot in here?

Lucian sighed and leaned back against the wall. The washcloth he had been using, to clean her face, was dangling out of his hand as he rested his arms over his knees. Alex noticed that he looked tired; after all he had been all but dead himself not to long ago.

"No Alex, you will not feel sorry for him", she told herself. She was just going to lie there and wait for Michael to finish doctoring her back.

About that time, Michael began applying something really cold directly onto her back. At first it was so cold, it made her tense up, then the physical contact of his hands on her back, quickly became a bigger concern.

Michael could feel Alex's back muscles clenching as he applied the antibiotic cream on her back. He looked over his patient's head to catch Lucian's gaze. He stared pointedly at him. "Lucian, I could use a little help here", Michael stated.

Lucian jumped up and moved to Michael's side. "What can I do?" he asked.

"First of all, you need to keep her calm, if you can't then you and Selene switch places and she can talk to Alex and you can get me supplies", Michael instructed Lucian in an aggravated tone of voice.

Lucian didn't respond at first, but when Michael waved Selene over, Lucian stopped her and turned back to Michael. "You're right. I'll keep her still and calm. You continue to take care of her physical needs", he assured the young doctor.

"Good, don't make me have to stop again. Its imperative I get this treatment done as soon as possible. This ointment will help protect her from outside infection", Michael informed him.

Lucian moved back to Alex's side and sat down again. "So, which one of my many faults do you wish to discuss with me", he asked the wounded woman.

Michael let out a chuckle, and as he looked over at Selene, he noticed she was smiling as well. Then he turned back to the task at hand.


	29. Chapter 28 Starting to Unravel

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT- Starting To Unravel**

_Human Headquarters_

His situation had become tenuous at best. For whatever reasons, Aaron and his flunkies did not appear too anxious to find Agent Douglas. They made half-hearted attempts at searching the area, but no one seemed to be looking very hard.

Sir William's patience had run out. They very nearly had her in their grasp. Then those bungling fools, especially the Irishman, let her get away. He would make sure these idiots were dealt with, once the current situation was resolved. Until then, he needed them. He had to find the female before the lycans told her who had been selling them the ultraviolet ammunition.

He sat there at the desk, watching these so called agents as they discussed strategies. They were inept. The search had already been called off for the day; the sun was setting. These were supposedly some of the best agents the Council had; and yet they seemed to be afraid of the dark. They deemed it too dangerous to go out and search during the night. Malcolm had decided it wasn't a risk worth taking, and of course Aaron had backed him up. Imbeciles!

He had spent the last two nights cooped up with these men, and he hadn't been able to ascertain what they were up to, but he knew that their so called "searches" and sweeps of the city and outlying areas were stalling tactics. But why?

All of a sudden, he felt as if her were suffocating. Feeling a desperate need for air, Malcolm snorted in disgust as he grabbed his jacket and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Malcolm questioned tersely.

Looking down his nose at Malcolm and is team he retorted, "I'm doing what you men don't seem to have the balls to do. I'm going out and continue looking for Agent Douglas."

"What makes you so sure you can find her, when we haven't been able to?" Aaron asked his fellow council member.

"Because I'm going back to the subway tunnels. That was where she was last seen, by our oh so industrious Agent O'Reilly", he replied sarcastically.

Daniel visibly flinched at the remark made by William. And he tensed up ready to take a swing, when Sterling reached out and touched his shoulder. Daniel didn't need to look at his silent friend to know he was being told to let it go. And he did for the moment. Right now, it was more important to buy Alex the time she needed in order to prove Sir William was the person responsible for selling out the council. So he sat there, glaring at the Sir William.

William had hoped he could provoke the Irishman, unfortunately he kept his cool, with the help of the African American. Feeling the walls closing in on him, he turned his back on them and began to exit the room, but his exit was halted when he heard the Australian call out to him.

"What if you run into the lycans or vamps down there?" Malcolm asked in a voice laced with steel.

"I can handle the lycans", he told them, "and I have plenty of ultraviolet ammunition. So don't worry about me" he said stalking out the door, slamming it behind him.

"Sterling, Jorge", Malcolm called out, "I want you to be his shadow. I want to know everything he says and does."

Sterling grinned, "We're on him like white on rice." Then he had Jorge grabbed up their weapons and followed the older council member.

Daniel began pacing, trying to wear of some of his pent up energy. Malcolm grabbed on of the revolvers and started cleaning it. Aaron sat at the table, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Malcolm would have loved to know what the man was thinking, but he knew Aaron well enough to know that Alex's mentor would talk only when he was ready.

After a few minutes, Aaron spoke up. "Isn't that odd. William never spent any time in the field, but he's confident enough that he can handle the lycans." Then he paused for moment before he began speaking again. "And yet he only brought ammunition that would affect the vampires. So he must feel pretty confident in his ability to effectively negotiate with the shapeshifters. So what, pray tell, is William's bargaining chip?" Aaron said finishing his little discourse.

Malcolm wasn't sure Aaron expected an answer from anyone. Daniel though was willingly to carry on the discussion with him.

"So, does this mean what I think it means?" Daniel asked expectantly.

Aaron chuckled lightly, "Not yet Daniel, but I do believe William is running scared. He has gotten angry enough to make foolish mistakes. It will only be a matter of time before he gives himself away", Aaron said pausing, "Or gets himself killed."


	30. Chapter 29 Help In Unexpected Places

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: Help in Unexpected Places**

_Lycan Headquarters_

Alex could vaguely hear voices penetrating her sleep. Soon, she realized she wasn't dreaming and could now clearly hear people talking. For a brief moment she forgot where she was. But as soon as she tried to move, her back quickly reminded her that she had no business going anywhere.

She must have finally fallen asleep; and, in Lucian's bed it would seem. She lay still for a few minutes longer, trying to get her bearings. What day was it? How much time had she lost? Why was she only wearing underwear?

She was having a hard time concentrating on these questions, mainly because her back felt as though someone had been tenderizing it for a few hours. That, and there appeared to be an argument going on right outside the door. The voices in the hallway kept getting louder.

She focused on those voices and was able to discern that Michael and Lucian were the two people involved in the verbal altercation, with Selene putting her two cents worth in every now and then.

Alex opened her eyes, and found she could actually see pretty well in the dark, must be one of those non-human perks. She couldn't see anyone else in the room, and given her current state of undress, that was a good thing.

The first thing she needed to do was get up, because she really needed to go to the bathroom. This was gonna hurt. "Okay Alex", she said to herself, "This is a walk in the park. Just sit up, throw your legs over the side of the bed and stand. Then all you gotta do is walk over to the bathroom." She was trying to give herself a little pep talk. Her bladder wasn't going to hold out much longer.

Unable to wait any longer, she gently began edging her body closer to the side of the bed. The skin on her back pulled tight and she could feel her wounds protesting the move. Whew, she made it. She was as close to the edge as she could get without falling off the bed itself. She stopped and let her back have a small break when she noticed the raised voices in the hallway had subsided to a furious whisper. She would worry about them later, right now she had a date with the toilet!

Now came the hard part. She knew her hair was still in its braid, she felt around for the end and held it tight within her left hand. Then bracing herself, she dropped her legs over the side of the bed and pushed herself up with her hands.

Biting back a loud moan, Alex cursed under her breath. The pain was mind numbing, she could feel some of the lashes tear open and begin bleeding. Michael was going to be pissed! She stood there for a couple of seconds, trying to catch her breath. Finally, when she felt she was ready, she beganmaking her way across the room. Really the bathroom hadn't seem so far away when she was lying on the bed just a few moments ago. But as she began walking towards it, she wasn't sure she was going to make it there by herself.

Each step was excruciating, her back screaming in agony. But there was no way she was going to call out for help. She would notlet Lucian and the others see her like this. She forced her legs to take each step until she was able to reach out and grab the handle of the bathroom door. Once there, she leaned against the door for a little support. She made it!! "Go Alex, go Alex", she kept repeating to herself inside her head, thrilled that she had gotten there without falling on her face.

She turned the handle, pushed open the door and made her way inside the room, closing the door behind her. Using her newfound super eyesight, she located the light switch and flipped on the lights. She didn't even bother looking in the mirror, she mad a direct beeline to the commode. She bent her legs at the knees as she pushed down her underwear and gingerly lowered herself onto the toilet. When she was done she felt as if she could breathe again. She slowly bent over, and pulled up her underwear and then stood. Her back was throbbing and burning at the same time. She flushed the toilet and made her way over to the sink.

The sight greeting her in the mirror was a bit daunting. Her left cheek was a light purple fading into various sickly looking greens, but the bruises were lessening. It was that quick healing thing Lucian and Selene had told her about. Cool. Her lower lip was bruised on the corner and even thought the swelling had gone down, she still wasn't looking too good. She hated to see what her back looked like.

She looked through the drawers, but couldn't find a mirror anywhere. Which didn't surprise her, Lucian didn't appear to be a vain man. In fact, this was the only room that seemed to have a mirror.

With a sigh, she turned around and looked over her shoulder into the mirror, trying to assess the damage. She soon wished she hadn't. The lacerations were red and ugly, her recent foray out of bed and across the room, had started some of them bleeding again. She could feel tears burning at the back of her throat as she swallowed hard, trying to keep from crying. She averted her gaze and stared at the shower stall for a moment. "Okay, so backless dresses are a thing of the past", she muttered outloud, "It's not the end of the world", she tried convincing herself. Steeling herself for another peek, she looked into the mirror again.

This time she really looked at the lashes that crisscrossed along her skin. Actually, it didn't look as bad as she thought it would. Some of the skin appeared to be already closing back up, well except those she had managed to rip open. It was really only the deeper lacerations that were still bleeding and raw. So, the speedy healing thing was working here to. Just another benefit of losing her humanity. Briefly she wondered how Michael was handling the transition.

Realizing just how much this little trip had tired her out, she rested her black, silk covered derriere against the sink and tried to catch her breath. She was an emotional wreck. Throughout the last couple of days, it seemed as though tears were always threatening to spill out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She tried taking several deep breaths, but that only pulled at the wounds on her back. So she had to settle for several shallow ones until she had pulled herself together.

Turning back to face the mirror she caught a glimpse of how much of a mess she really was. Most of her hair had managed to come out of the braid she had put it up in several days ago. God it seemed longer than that. But as she moved closer, she could see dried blood liberally laced throughout the red-gold strands. She needed a shower. She wasn't real sure Michael would be recommending one right now, but she didn't care, she was taking one.

She took the rubber band out of her hair, and began unbraiding her hair, until it was a crimped mass hanging down the front of her right shoulder, covering her right breast and ending right above her belly button. She bent her head and looked down the length of her hair, a glint of gold showing through the strands where the loop in her belly button could be seen. There was more dried blood in there than she cared to think about.

Figuring the shower was her next priority, she rummaged around in the cabinets until she found a couple of towels. Then she went over to turn on the water when she noticed there was already a towel hanging up to dry. Lucian must have taken a shower earlier while she had been asleep. She felt a strong pull in her nether regions at the thought of Lucian naked in the shower. She could literally see his compact body standing under the water, letting it run over his shoulders and tightly muscled chest down that flat stomach and…."Well, your hormones are still working", Alex thought to herself, pushing the erotic images out of her mind.

Determined not to think of Lucian at all, she reached into the stall and turned on the hot water. Then as it was warming up, she pulled the other towel off the bar and hung up the ones she planned on using.

Her next move required quite a bit of creative maneuvering. She needed to get her underwear off, without completely ripping open the wounds on her back. After thinking about it for a couple of seconds, she came up with and idea. She slowly lowered herself down to a squat. Then she pushed her underwear down and over her knees to her shins. Then she straightened up slowly and wiggled her legs until the scrap of black silk was at her ankles, where she could easily step out of them. It hadn't been an easy task, but she had completed it with minimal fuss. She could feel fresh blood trickling down her back and over her butt, but there wasn't a lot of it.

Finally naked, she pulled open the shower door and stepped inside, making sure she kept her front side to the water. She didn't want to find out what the direct spray of water would feel like against her aching back.

There she stood, letting the warm water splash over her. Knowing she had to do it, she moved a little closer into the stream and let the water wash away the traces of blood out of her hair and off of her back. She hissed at the stinging sensation the water was creating as it came in contact with the lacerations on her back. But she knew it had to be done. She opened her eyes and looked down, seeing the clear liquid had been tinted red as it flowed down the drain. She stayed there until the water was again clear. Then she reached over and grabbed the bar of soap she found in the soap dish. "Alex, you dummy, you forgot the washrag!" Cursing at her momentary loss of common sense, she got the soap wet and then began lathering up her body. It was a long, slow process as she had a really hard time moving any part of her body. The left side of her face was particularly sore, and required a gentle hand. Once she was done, she rinsed off and then tried to figure out how in the hell she was going to manage to wash the massive amount of hair she had, without pulling open even more of her wounds.

Then she felt a tingling sensation starting at the base of her neck, and soon she was covered in goosebumps. Thinking that maybe the hot water was gone and she just hadn't realized it, Alex opened up her eyes and started to reach for the knobs.

"Is my assistance required?"

"Busted", Alex muttered under her breath. Keeping her back to him, Alex was determined not to give Lucian a show. Yeah, he had already seen her topless, but that was under extenuating circumstances, and she was pretty sure he hadn't been paying that much attention to her assets.

"Don't you know it's polite to knock on the door and wait for permission to enter, before you come barging in?" she asked him, mildly perturbed.

"Yes, well, when I realized you weren't in bed, where you were supposed to be I might add, I began to worry. Then when I heard the water running I put two and two together and knew you had been foolish enough to get up and attempt to take a shower by yourself", he calmly replied.

"I've managed this far without your help. And I'm doing a damn fine job, thank you!", Alex shot back at him, still keeping her backside to him.

"Now you've come to the part of the bathing that is going to be a little more difficult to accomplish without some help", Lucian noted. "I'm offering my services, but if you are uncomfortable with my presence, then I can call Michael or Selene to come and help."

Alex looked over her shoulder and through the frosted shower door to see the outline of Lucian's body leaning against the doorjamb. She couldn't tell if he had the infuriating grin on his face or not. But it didn't sound as if he were laughing at her. He again sounded sincere. Sighing, she had to rethink her position. She had a lot of hair, which up to this point had been only a minor pain in the butt. But with the lacerations on her back it was going to be hard enough trying to keep her hair off of the wounds, but reaching up to wash it was damn near impossible.

"Fine, you win", she said irritably. "Yes, I could use some help. But other than getting directly into the shower with me, I'm not real sure how we can accomplish this. I mean I can't bend over and let you wash it that way, though believe me, I would if I could", she admitted through gritted teeth.

"Would you rather I call in Selene?" he asked sincerely.

She looked at him again, and noticed he hadn't moved. He was still leaning against the doorframe nonchalantly. Did she want Selene in the shower with her? If she were being honest, no she didn't. "What are you afraid of? Do you think he's going to jump your hot little body the minute he's in the shower with you? Don't worry about that, because at this very moment, you are no prize Alexandra Douglas", she reminded herself in her mind. "Or maybe you're more afraid that he'll be disgusted by you injuries and want nothing to do with you? Did she have to make everything so complicated? Why couldn't she just accept his offer for what it was?

"No, I'm more comfortable with you than I am Selene", she finally answered. "I mean you're several hundred years old, it isn't like you haven't seen a naked female before right?" she said nervously.

"Alexandra, I promise that I am only interested in helping you wash your hair. I am your sire and I know when you are suffering. Let me ease that pain and help you", Lucian said softly.

Swallowing her pride, Alex whispered, "Okay."

She had spoken so quietly, she wasn't sure Lucian had heard her. But he had, and she could soon hear himundressing. It wasn't long before Alex heard the shower door open and felt Lucian standing beside her under the water. She had kept her eyes closed, not trusting herself to look at him. She dreaded seeing the look of disgust on his face. She could feel his warmth as his body brushed against hers. For a minute, she thought he was going to wrap his arms around her, but the moment past and she figured it must have been wishful thinking on her part. They stood like that for several minutes, close but not really touching.

Lucian was the first to break the silence, "My God, I never realized you had this much hair."

Laughing nervously, Alex said, "Yeah, it's like a long, stringy, red mop."

Lucian reached out and fingered the wet tresses. "No, it's beautiful; like liquid fire", he told her.

Alex jerked her head up in surprise, looking into his face to see if he was messing with her. But the look in his eyes was both sincere and ashamed. Odd.

She started to avert her gaze when Lucian grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look at him. He was inspecting the fading bruise on her cheek. She closed her eyes, embarrassed at being on the receiving end of such scrutiny. Suddenly, she felt the fleshy pad of his thumb brushing across her lower lip. She opened her eyes to find Lucian's intense gaze looking directly into her own.

This time she had the feeling he was going to kiss her, but he abruptly let go of her chin and grabbed for the bar of soap.

"Now then, Princess", he said clearing his throat, "I apologize for not having shampoo available, but at least the soap will get your hair clean", he told her lathering up the soap in his hands. "Now, be a good girl and stand still; and I promise to be as gentle as I can", he assured her.

She rolled her eyes and then glared at him, "Be a good girl my ass", she muttered.

"What was that?", Lucian asked, knowing full well what she had said.

"Oh nothing, I was just mentioning that my hair hung nearly to my ass, so make sure you get it all, okay?", she offered up sweetly. Lucian chuckled and started at the very top of her head.

His hands were warm and strong. She loved the way they felt as he gently massaged her scalp as he was soaping up her hair. She had never had a man wash her hair for her before; it felt wonderful. She stood there and let his relaxing movements put her at ease. She had bent her head forward, allowing him full access to her hair, her eyes closed just enjoying the situation. Then it hit her, she could easily open her eyes and find out just what Luican had to offer a gril. She had to admit, curiosity was killing. "Whoa Alex, slow down. Something is seriously worng here if your are more concerned with what a man's got downstairs versus worrying about your health", she crossly told herself.But even herlittle self admonishment couldn't curb her sudden need to look. She slowly opened her eyes, and found that there was no wayLucian could everdisappoint any woman he was ever with. And he was obviouslyenjoying this little escapade. Shefelt warm all over,but knew she wasn't running a fever. Lucian made her blood run hot. She couldn't ever remember feelinglike this about any man, much less on that wasn't completely human.

Deep in thought, she had stoppedpaying attention to Lucian. Suddenly,shefelt his hand brush lightlyacross the tip of her right breast, sending her nerves dancing on end. She quickly inhaled and took a step back, nearly falling. Lucian quickly reached out and grabbed her shoulders, enabling her to regain her balance.

She looked over to him, and was torn between asking him to get out of the shower or begging him to touch her again. "Alex, pull yourself toghether", she told herself. At least Lucian seemed as shocked as she was. He just stood there holding her at arms length. But it appeared that touch had not only excited her, he seemed to have gotten a little out of it too, as she saw that he had swelled even larger than before. Alex swallowed hard.

"Alexandra, I apologize", Lucian finally said. "It was purely accidental, I assure you."

Her entire body felt as if it was on fire, and not in the same sense as her back had. It was like a heated pool of water had formed in the junction of her thighs, and her nipples were erect and super sensitive.

"No…no problem", she stammered out in reply. She looked down and saw he was about halfway through her hair. "This is good enough, I'll just rinse this out and it'll be fine", she said unable to meet his gaze.

"No, please let me finish. The ends of your hair had more blood in it than the top did. I promise to pay close attention and finish quickly", he promised her.

She held her breath a moment. She wasn't sure she could take much more. Her traitorous body was humming and begging for his touch.

"Okay, but please hurry. I, I really need to lie down for a while", she said stuttering through her answer.

She watched as he lathered up his hands again. Then he reached for her hair right above her shoulder and pulled the length away from her body, as he gently but efficiently ran his hands through her hair. When he had made it to the tips, he inhaled sharply.

Afraid something else had happened, Alex asked, "What is it? What's wrong?

Lucian looked back up at her face and saw concern lining her features. "Nothing, I just got a cold blast of water. But it's fine now, see", he said pulling her hand into the stream of warm water.

Relief coursed through her veins and she let him pull her into the water.

"Close those pretty eyes and I'll rinse out the soap. Then we'll see about getting you dried off, and finding you something to wear", he told her.

He was treating her like a little girl, but honestly, she really didn't mind. It was nice having someone fuss over her. She hadn't had that since her parents died when she was ten. So she closed her eyes and let him rinse out her hair, only wincing once when some of the soap got into the cuts on her back.

"Sorry, Princess", he said apologetically.

She was sorry to hear the water being turned off. She had enjoyed that more than she had anticipated. She opened her eyes to see Lucian had stepped out and had wrapped a towel around his waist. He grabbed another towel and held it out for her to step into.

Now extremely self-conscious, she hurried into the towel. She held the covering up over her chest, while Lucian grabbed the third towel and began wringing out her hair. Suddenly it hit her, how was she ever gonna get a brush through it?

When he was done, Lucian said he would be right back, leaving her to finish drying the rest of her body off. Which she did, as best as she could, even though it took her longer than she thought it should have. Then she went in search of a brush. When she couldn't find it, she also started looking for an extra toothbrush, but obviously, Lucian didn't entertain much as all she found was one toothbrush, toothpaste, men's deodorant and a comb. Taking one look in the mirror and the tangled mess of hair, she knew there was no way she was getting a comb through that.

Suddenly, she could see Lucian standing behind her. He had thrown on a pair of jeans and a dark blue shirt, which he hadn't bothered buttoning up. She stared at the glimpse of skin showing where his shirt gaped open. She felt her nipples tighten in anticipation.Then she tried to convince herself she was just really cold, yeah right.

She tore her gaxe from his chest and noticed thatin his left hand, he had her bag. The one they had managed to retrieve before heading down to the subway. Clothing, necessities….she had completely forgotten they had brought her stuff back here. Her face broke into a genuine smile, as she turned to face Lucian.

"Here, I thought you may be needing these", he told her sitting the bag on the vanity beside her.

Alex realized how thoughtful he was. He didn't expect her to hold the bag, which would pull on her back. Nor, did he want her to have to bend over in order to pull out the things she needed. Instead he had put the bag up where it could be easily accessed. She looked into those deep set eyes and knew that if she didn't watch out, she could drown in their depths. She was no longer angry with him, for any reason. Her change had brought about some amazing changes in herself. And even though she knew there would be other changes she was sure she wouldn't be too happy about, she knew she could deal with it.She didn't blame him any more.

He was standing beside her, waiting to see if she needed any help. She leaned over to him, reached up and planted akiss on his cheek.

"Thank you", she told him.

He looked surprised, then he grinned and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

When she looked back into the mirror, she caught a smile on her face as well. Then she began digging through her bag. She grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste and immediately brushed her teeth. Then she pulled out a black pair of lacy briefs, it was that or a thong, and a pair of extra low-rise black jeans. She didn't even entertain the thought of putting on a bra or shirt. There was no way that was happening. She made her way over to the toilet again, but this time she put the lid down. She managed to get into the briefs with very little problems. But the pants were proving to be harder to work with. She silently cursed her bad habit of wearing skin-tight jeans, that and her hips. She had been trying to tug them up for a while now, without any luck. All she had managed to do was open up another laceration.

"Damnit!!" she cursed outloud.

Lucian must have been standing right by the door, because he walked in as soon as she uttered the expletive.

"Having problems?" he asked.

She quickly parted her hair in the back and pulled the sides over both shoulders so that they covered her breasts. Now ready to face him, she straightened up and looked over at him. First thing she noticed was that he still had that grin on his face. "I can't seem to pull up my pants", she said then she laughed because it sounded so absurd.

"Well, I'm not sure that wearing pants is such a good idea", he advised her.

"What am I supposed to do, run around in my underwear for the next few days?", she asked.

"As enticing an idea as that may be, I don't recommend it. Lycans have a huge sex drive and as you can see, women are fairly scarce around here", he noted wryly.

"Oh yeah, the boys are just waiting for me to prance around in the latest creation from Victoria's Secret, I am sure", she spouted off sarcastically.

"I'm not sure who this Victoria is and I have no idea what her secret may be, but if it involves you and prancing, I am sure that I would enjoy whatever it is", Lucian said.

She swore hisvoice had dropped a whole octave, making it even sexier than it already was. She blushed. She was standing there in his bathroom, topless, pants at her ankles and it was his voice that made her blush. God when was the last time she had done that? It was 6th grade, when Tommy Ferguson had pointed out to the entire class how much she had developed over the summer, yeah that was it. How did he manage to do this to her?

Lucian laughed. "Michael wants to take a look at your back and clean it up some more. You may have noticed that you were wearing only underwear earlier. The pants kept rubbing up against some of the lacerations on your back. It was irritating them and causing them to bleed. Michael was concerned it could slow down the healing process and possibly cause infection. So, he's going to want you to keep those pants off.

"Oh great. Her hormones were in overdrive and she was expected to wear nothing but her underwear for a few days. "Could this possibly get anymore embarrassing?" she asked outloud, more to herself than to Lucian.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of Alexandra. Now come, Michael and Selene are awaiting you. They need to be reassured of your continued good health", he told her.

"Okay, but let me grab a shirt first. I want to at least cover up my front, this way I can pretend to have a modicum of modesty", she sullenly replied.

Before she even had a chance to walk over to her bag, Lucian had shrugged his arms out of his shirt. He walked over to her and held it up against her shoulders. She looked at him in surprise. She moved her hands to take the shirt from him and she felt a spark of electricity flare between them when she brushed his hands. She stepped back, loosing her grip on the shirt as it floated to the ground between them.

She moved her gaze from his face down to his chest. The bullet holes that had been there only days before, had now closed up. The silver had done damage, the skin was scarred where it had penetrated. But the hole itself was gone. Just as she had in the tunnels the day she had discovered him, she felt drawn to him, needing to touch him. She reached up and brushed her fingertips across the most severe looking scar, near his right shoulder. They lingered there for a moment before they began moving from one scar to another. His strength amazed her. He was slim, but well muscled. And, he had a depth to him that was uncommon among males today. He was a true leader. She saw that in him.

Lucian had grabbed her hand, preventing her from further exploration. "Michael is waiting for you little one", he told her, his voice husky and low pitched.

His comment snapped her out of the trance she seemed to have fallen under. "Your right, Michael wishes to see me", she said, reiterating his words.

Lucian bent over and retrieved the shirt she had dropped. She took it from him and pulled it up against her chest. Then she followed him out into the bedroom, where Dr. Corvin and Selene were waiting.


	31. Chapter 30 Dazed and Confused

**CHAPTER THIRTY:**

_Lycan Headquarters_

Lucian sat in a chair close to the bed, watching over his patient. Exhaustion danced around his mind, seeming to draw him under. But he had no intentions of sleeping. He wanted to keep an eye on Alexandra and make sure she made it through the night okay.

Once Michael had finished cleaning up her wounds, he and Selene straightened up. When they were ready to go, Micca had offered to show them to their room. But Michael had wanted to talk. It took a little work, but he had convinced Michael that they all needed to get some rest, and that in the morning they would discus everything. Michael had reluctantly agreed, then given him strict instructions on caring for Alexandra.

As they were walking out of the chamber, Michael had called out that if there were any problems, he was to come and get him immediately. He had promised to do, anxious to have some time to himself. At that moment, he probably would have promised the Pope he would convert to Catholicism if it meant he could be alone. But he wasn't out of the woods yet.

Before he had time to settle in, Selene had come back. He tried to assure her that he would tell them anything they wanted to know tomorrow morning. But she had told him she wasn't interested in the same things Michael was. She had told him in no uncertain terms, that the questions she wanted answers for concerned this new breed he had developed. He had looked her in the eye and told her point blank that he didn't know much. He and Sinje had had quite a few theories, but until proven one way or the other, it was pretty much trial and error. She had looked at him intently then without another word, she turned away and walked back to hers and Michael's room.

Now he was sitting here, trying to stay awake. He stood up and tried walking around a little to see if that helped. As he walked past the mirror, he caught a glimpse of himself. He still had on the same clothes he had been wearing when Kraven had tried to kill him. Both bullet holes and silver nitrate could be found on most of the material. Sighing he walked over to check on Alexandra.

She was flushed and moaned slightly when he reached over and placed the back of his hand on her forehead. She was warm, but not seriously so. He pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat back down. He watched her move in her sleep. She was uncomfortable, murmuring about being cold. Michael had insisted the pants she had on earlier, needed to come off because they were rubbing up against the wounds on her lower back. So, Michael had grabbed her around the waist and held her while he had slowly tugged off the tight jeans. It had been difficult to take them off without moving her too much, but they had somehow managed. Now, she was lying there on his bed in nothing but a very small pair of black silk panties. He leaned over and grabbed hold of the sheet and blanket at the foot of the bed. Then he pulled them up to just below her waist, making sure they didn't touch the lacerations on her back. After a few moments, she warmed up and stopped moving around.

Fairly confident that she would be okay while he took a shower; he grabbed a clean shirt and pair of pants. Then he walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open, just in case Alexandra needed him.

Once inside he quickly disrobed and looked over his own injuries in the mirror. The wounds were completely closed up. They would leave scars, but the silver hadn't killed him. Wouldn't Kraven be disappointed. He had a surprise in store for the vampires, in fact he had three, Michael, Alexandra and himself. They just needed to work out a few things before they could confront their enemy.

He pulled his hair out of the rubber band and grabbed a towel. Then he stepped into the shower and turned on the water. The ice, cold blast served two purposes. The first one was to help wake him up. The second reason was to tamp down the sexual attraction he felt towards the woman lying virtually naked on his bed.

He knew he had no business thinking of her in those terms. She was seriously injured and he had unfortunately played a major role in that fiasco. She was rightfully angry with him for that, as well as other things. Disgusted with himself, he leaned his head against the tile along the wall and let the cold water run over him.

But the cold water wasn't able to cool his ardor. His thoughts quickly jumped right back to the woman asleep in the other room. She was strong there was no question of that. She was sleekly muscled, her arms and legs stronger than what he would have thought at first glance. It was her other attributes that led a person to believe she wasn't any kind of physical threat. With everything that had happened since Alexandra had found him, he had never really gotten a good look at her. But the glimpses he had received were enough to fuel his fantasies for a while. Her breasts were full and looked as though they had been dipped in strawberries. And when he had helped undress her earlier, he noticed how her hips softly curved out from a small waist, leaving her with a nicely rounded backside. But he felt at a complete loss when she looked at him with eyes the color of amethysts and a mouth that begged for long, deep kisses. She was driving him mad. He hadn't felt this conflicted since Sonja had died.

But his thoughts were soon interrupted when he heard a moan from the other room. He quickly soaped up and washed himself from head to toe. Then he toweled himself off and threw on his jeans and grabbed his shirt. He walked back into the bedroom, to find Alex was talking in her sleep.

"I don't need your help, I can do it myself", Alex said outloud, to whomever she was arguing with in her sleep.

"She's probably talking to me", Lucian thought to himself as he pulled his clean shirt on.

He reached out and touched her cheek, and found she felt normal. Then with a tired sigh, he dropped himself into the chair, slouching down so that his head rested against the back. Stretching his legs out in front of him, he settled in ready for a long night.

He was tired, but he did not believe he would fall asleep. There were so many things running through his mind. The situation with Raze and the lycans, Kraven and the vampires, the Council; and now, both Michael & Selene expected answers to questions he wasn't sure he knew the answers to. And it would only be a matter of time before Alexandra had recuperated enough to begin demanding answers herself. And as he watched her sleep, he wondered how he would answer those questions.

She had finally stopped tossing and turning, and seemed to have settled down for the night. She was laying flat on her stomach, with her face turned so that she was facing him. The bruising on her cheek was fading and the swelling had already subsided. He imagined that with the rapid healing, these wounds would be gone completely by tomorrow evening. Now all they had to worry about was her back.

"Damn stubborn woman!" he muttered to her sleeping form. If she had changed she would have saved herself a lot of pain and would have healed much faster. She also would have realized she was no mere lycan. But in an odd way, he could understand why she had refused. She was trying to control her beast, so to speak. She didn't want to acknowledge that part of her. Sure, she was smart enough to take advantage of the changes she had already discovered, but that was as far as she was willing to take it. Which left him wondering, how much of a help would she be in a fight against the vampires? Granted, right now, she didn't care very much for either species, but she was less likely to form an alliance with the vampires, seeing as how she thought she was a shapeshifter. More than likely, she would return to the Council as soon as she had the answers she sought. Lucian wasn't sure he was willing to let her go so easily. Which left him wondering, whether or not he would give her the answers she so desperately wanted. Granted it may buy him some time with the Council, but he wasn't sure that was worth the cost of losing her.

His mind was too tired to think rationally anymore. Determined to at least rest, Lucian tried clearing his mind of everything. As he sat there, looking into the darkness, his thoughts drifted to Sonja. His sweet and beautiful wife. Michael's transformation and Alexandra's presence created had brought about feelings of guilt and confusion. He thoughts kept slipping into the distant past, back to memories he had tried so hard to keep buried.

Sonja. Even though it had been hundreds of years, he still remembered her laugh and the way she had always smelled of night blooming jasmine. He also remembered how he used to watch her brush her hair every night before bed. They had both been thrilled with the thought of a child and had been so happy when she became pregnant. These memories were poignant and always left him sad. He hadn't been able to protect her or their child; and it had eaten away at him, leaving him emotionally scarred and distant.

Guilt again tore through him, as he realized he hadn't done a very good job of protecting Alexandra either. He briefly wondered what his wife would think about the independent, strong-willed woman occupying his bed. He spent the rest of the night, thinking of Sonja and watching over Alexandra.

At some point he must have dozed off, because the sound of knocking woke him up. He glanced over at Alex and saw she was still asleep. He stood up and walked over to the door, admitting Michael and Selene into the room.

"I told you we would be by first thing this morning", Michael reminded him.

"Yes, so I see", Lucian, remarked. "Selene, good morning to you. I trust you both slept well?" he asked allowing them entrance into the room.

"Fine thank you", was Selenes' somewhat stilted response.

Michael had already walked over to his patient and began examining her. Lucian walked over to Michael's side, watching him gently checking the lacerations.

"They appear to be healing already, that's a good sign", Michael stated outloud to no one in particular. "Did you notice any sign of fever last night?" he asked Lucian reaching over to feel Alex's face.

"She was a bit flushed right after you left, but she didn't feel too warm. I check on her several other times, and other than moaning and moving around some she was fine", Lucian told him. He realized that Michael was really a good doctor. He was one of those people that genuinely cared about their patients.

Once Michael was satisfied with Alex's progress, he turned his attention back to Lucian.

"So, what do you plan to do about this?" he asked Lucian.

Sighing, Lucian looked to Selene to see if she would help him explain this. But he soon saw Selene had no intentions of backing him up on anything. She had walked over to Michael's side the moment he asked the question, showing Lucian she was standing by her man, so to speak.

"Michael, there is nothing that can be done. What has happened is beyond a simple fix. Let me try to explain our current situation to you, maybe then you'll understand ", Lucian replied. But, before he could utter another word, Michael spoke up.

"We're not staying here another minute, not if this is how things are going to be done, Lucian", Michael warned him. "I will not put Selene in that kind of position nor will I allow it to happen to Alex again either", Michael promised Lucian, his voice steadily growing louder.

"Do not threaten me Michael", Lucian hissed loudly. He understood Michael's anger, but he couldn't afford to lose the three of them. "Selene, surely you realize the danger you are in. Make no mistake; the vampires will be after you. Kraven walked away from this scott free. The only ones that could have told Marcus the truth died in those tunnels. Which means Kraven went flying back to the Coven, and they're gathering their forces even as we speak", Lucian spat out.

"Both of you lower your voices", Selene admonished when movement could be heard coming from the bed. She grabbed Michael's hand and motioned to Lucian to follow them; then she dragged them out into the hallway, closing the door behind them.

Glaring at the two men, Selene waited a moment before she answered Lucian's question. "Yes, I am aware that the death dealers will be looking for us. But that doesn't mean we are any safer with the lycans. Alex is proof of that."

Lucian winced, knowing Selene was right. He hadn't been able to take care of Alex, anymore than he had been able to take care of Sonja. He had simply underestimated Alexandra's determination and had believed in the lycans far too much. This had proven to be a bad combination.

"Look, both of you, I will tell you all that I know. You can make your decision as to whether or not you wish to stay after I finish. Deal?" Lucian asked.

Michael and Selene looked at each other before shaking their heads in agreement.

"Kraven believes I am dead, what he doesn't know is that not only am I alive, but I have become what you are Michael. We are both a species of a crossbreed between the lycans and the vampires. What all that entails I don't know. As I told Selene last night, Sinje and I had several theories, but without proof, they mean nothing. What I do know is that I am still able to walk in the light of day, though my eyes and skin seem to be overly sensitive to the sun. I can drink blood, though I don't seem to crave it, and I'm pretty sure we can eat solid food as well."

At that, Michael interrupted, "We can. Selene managed to bring back some food one night, not too long after the attack. She had blood, and two steaks, one rare the other well done. I tried eating the well-done steak first, and though I had no problems eating it, it didn't satisfy my hunger. I soon left it and began eating the rare steak. It was much more to my liking, satisfying both my hunger and the need for blood."

Lucian responded, "That's good to know." He paused for a moment then began speaking again. "I don't feel the need to sleep while the sun is up, though I do seem to be a little bit weaker during the daylight hours versus the nighttime. But as a whole, I seem to feel stronger than I did as a lycan, and my healing has sped up as well. The gunshots of silver nitrate have already healed, but it did leave some scarring. Nonetheless, this is all I know about our species."

"That isn't much", Selene put in. "In fact, these are things we have already learned ourselves, so why should we bother staying?" she asked.

Sighing Lucian said, "Because I need your help."

"Are you serious?" Michael asked incredulously.

"Deadly", Lucian assured him.

"How can that be?" Michael asked questioning his answer.

"Look, as you can see, our numbers have been greatly depleted. The battle in the tunnels hit the lycans hard. And I know the vampires will be coming for us once they have regrouped. Marcus will be awakened as Viktor and Amelia are dead. So it is only a matter of time until they come looking for us. They will be out for blood; there is no doubt in my mind. Our only hope of defeating them lies in the lycans and the new breed fighting together", Lucian explained.

"What happened to your theory of bringing this war to an end?" Michael exclaimed in frustration. "You told me this was what you were hoping to accomplish by combining the species. Was that all a bunch of lies as well?"

Agitated and frustrated, Lucian snapped, "I've told you no lies Michael. From the very beginning I was honest with you. Yes, I was hoping to end this futile and ridiculous war. But with one elder dead at the hands of the lycans, and another by Selene, I do not believe the vampires would be willing to put aside our differences."

"He's right Michael", Selene said, agreeing with Lucian. Lowering her voice, in hopes that they would do so as well, she continued. "The vampires will be fueled on by Kraven and his lies and deceptions. They won't listen to reason; they will be out to destroy each and every one of us. And they won't stop until we are all dead."

Michael leaned back against the wall and ran his hands through his hair. Then looking back up at Lucian, "So, you really think that the three of us will make that big a difference in this war?"

"I'm not sure of anything", Lucian answered. "But I know we stand a better chance of surviving with the new breed fighting with the lycans instead of against them", he told them both honestly.

"What of Alex?" Do you think she will fight with us?" Michael asked.

Lucian sighed, "I don't know. She refuses to shift and will not ever do so willingly. I'm not sure if the full moon will bring on the change, seeing as how she is not merely lycan. And the woman is hard headed there is no doubt about it. I believe the only reason she is here now is because she needs some information that the lycans have on the council."

"What is this Council?" Selene asked.

"You have never heard of them", Lucian queried.

"No", she responded.

"They are a group of humans that have been watching, documenting, and eventually fighting the vampires and lycans for hundreds of years. They are an international group that is truly well funded and well equipped. They have only a handful of operatives that go out and execute any lycan or vampire that has taken or harmed a human life. They develop their own weapons and are highly trained individuals; and even though they are human, they can hold their own in a fight and have managed to dwindle down the numbers of both species", Lucian explained.

"And our Alex belongs to this group", Michael said, not questioning the reality, just stating the obvious.

"Yes, and from what I can gather, she is one of the best", Lucian told them. "She was the leader of a group that was sent here to find you Michael. Obviously, they learned of the incident in the subway when Raze and the others were trying to capture you. They had come upon me in the tunnels, and taking me for dead, she sent the others on to continue looking for you while she tried to figure out who I was. This was when I bit her, which I might add saved my life", Lucian added.

"And yet you repay her by allowing this travesty of justice take place", Michael sneered.

Lucian was tired of Michael's insolence. "I do not have to explain myself to you Michael. I don't like what happened any more than you do. But the difference between you and I is that I know that as a leader, sometimes you have to make decisions, even sacrifices, in order to do what is best for everyone. You can't make allowances for a select few. It just doesn't work that way", he said through gritted teeth.

"Enough, both of you", Selene ordered. She threw Michael a look of warning before glaring at Lucian. "Michael is the only reason Alex is here?" she asked.

"You are a bright one Selene", Lucian admitted ruefully. "No, the Council had an additional motive for coming to Budapest. But at the moment, I am unwillingly to share that particular bit of information with anyone."

"How are we supposed to trust you, when you won't be completely honest with us?" Michael shot back to Lucian.

"This is between Alexandra and I, it doesn't involve you", Lucian informed him. "Once Alexandra is recovered enough, she and I will talk. Then, and only then, will I let the rest of you in on the outcome. I owe that to her", Lucian added softly.

Silence reigned in the small hallway, during which Lucian could have sworn he heard water running. Needing to find the source of the noise, he looked over at Michael and Selene. "Have I answered your questions?" he asked them.

"For now", Selene responded for both of them.

"Good, then let me get back inside. I believe Alexandra should be waking soon", he told them. "You are free to go anywhere here in the compound. But I ask that you not leave until we have the chance to speak again." Which was his polite but oh so subtle way of saying they weren't allowed to go.

"I have no intentions of leaving my patient", Michael assured him. "But once Alex is well, I can't promise you we will stay", Michael warned.

"Please think about it, before you make any rash decisions", Lucian advised. Then he opened the door to his quarters and left them standing in the hallway.

He quickly walked across the room, and saw the bed was empty. Damn but that woman was obstinate. Knowing now that he did in fact hear the shower going, he strode across the room and into the bathroom.

Once he opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of Alexandra standing under the spray, letting the water flow over her like a waterfall. The glass wasn't clear, it had a frosted design to it, but he was able to discern her shape through the door. He stood there watching her as she eventually grabbed the bar of soap and slowly began washing herself. To his chagrin, he was suddenly concerned with the fact that there was no shampoo or any other things, women used on their hair. She didn't even have a rag to wash with. But it didn't seem to deter her. She rubbed the soap along her body, bringing Lucian's blood to a boil. Her motions were slow and labored, the movement obviously causing pain in her back. But she finished up and began rinsing off, making little hissing sounds when the soap would sting some of her injuries.

Suddenly, he realized she was going to have to trouble washing her hair. It would require lifting her arms or bending over, neither which would be well accepted by the wounds on her back. He could see she was trying to figure out the best way to accomplish her goal, when he blurted out, "Is my assistance required?"

He heard her murmur something, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He stood there waiting, watching. Finally, she told him he was supposed to knock before entering, or some such nonsense. He quickly explained that if she had stayed in bed where she was supposed to have been, he wouldn't have had to come looking for her.

"I've managed this far without your help. And I've done a damn fine job, thank you", she had shot back at him.

She had such fire; he liked that about her. She didn't take anything from anyone. But, she was hurt nonetheless and this part of her shower would require assistance. Which he quickly pointed out to her. There was no way she was going to be able to wash her hair without ripping open some, if not most, of the lacerations. He even offered to get Michael or Selene if that would make her more comfortable.

Concern drew his features taught as he waited for her response. But he didn't want Alexandra to know just how much she was affecting him. So, he leaned against the doorframe and tried to look as if he had not a care in the world.

After a few moments, she admitted he was right; she did need help. "Will miracles never cease", he thought to himself. But when she began speaking about him climbing into the shower with her, it left him speechless. Then he realized she was right, there was really no other way.

He knew she was having a hard time asking for his help. It hurt her pride to know she wasn't able to take care of herself, not yet anyway. Actually, Lucian was amazed that she had gotten this far without requiring assistance. She continually surprised him.

But he wasn't sure he would be able to be that close to her without it affecting his judgement. But he'd be damned before he allowed Michael the opportunity to help her either.

"Would you rather I call in Selene", he offered, trying to make things easier on both of them.

After another awkward silence she answered, "No, I'm more comfortable with you than with Selene", she told him. Then she went on about how old he was and how he'd seen plenty of naked women before. Did she have to keep reminding him about his age?

Then he noticed the nervousness lacing her voice. Was she afraid of him? No, his Alexandra wasn't afraid of anything. He mentally reached out to her and could feel her pain and shame. That wouldn't do.

Wanting to reassure her he said, "Alexandra, I promise that I am only interested in helping you wash your hair. I am your sire and I know when you are suffering. Let me ease that pain and help you."

When she finally spoke, it was a barely whispered, "Okay." Lucian was both shocked and honored that she trusted him enough to allow him in. Not giving her the opportunity to change her mind, he quickly undressed and then opened the door and stepped into the shower.

Alexandra had stepped further back, allowing him entrance into the stall. She was out of the water and shivering slightly; he could see the goose bumps running down her arms. But she refused to look at him. It was at that very moment, that Lucian noticed her hair. It was long, and even though she had it pulled over her right shoulder it hung straight to her waist. It was glorious.

"My God, I never realized you had this much hair", he commented, the words falling from his mouth before he could stop them.

"Yeah, it's like a long, stringy red mop", she replied, nerves still making her voice sound shaky.

He unconsciously reached out and ran his fingers through the dark, wet hair. The strands were soft and silky, and he knew that when it was dry it was a wonderful deep red with strands of gold running through it.

"No, it's beautiful; like liquid fire", he told her meaning it.

When she looked up at him, he felt like a fifteen year old getting caught looking at dirty magazines. Then he noticed her cheek, and remembered the fight that had taken place before the lashing. She tried to look away, but he firmly grabbed hold of her chin. He looked over the bruising on her cheek and lip and noticed they had faded even more so than last night. They were now a light purple and green color; but there was no swelling nor any open cuts. Good. He saw that she had closed her eyes, embarrassed he supposed. He glanced over her face and caught site of the very small bruise at the corner of her mouth. Suddenly, he felt an enormous urge to kiss that area, as if to make things all better. He ran his thumb over her sensuous bottom lip. He fought his urges and quickly let go of her chin. Grabbing the soap, he began lathering up his hands, sorry that he didn't have anything better to offer her.

"Now then Princess" he said trying to clear his throat and his mind of the visions he had of kissing this woman. "I apologize for not having any shampoo available, but at least the soap will get your hair clean." He had to stop thinking of her naked body so close to his. Trying to push away the erotic images filling his mind he said, "Now be a good girl and stand still; and I will try to be as gentle as I can." That's it. Speak to her as if she were a little girl. That made things easier.

Then he heard her mutter under her breath, "Be a good girl my ass."

"What was that?" he asked, glad she was feeling less timid.

She tried to tell him she was talking about how long her hair was and that it hung down to her ass. Then she had the audacity to tell him to make sure he got it all. Her cheekiness brought forth a chuckle. He found her very amusing.

Ready now, he put the soap back in its dish and dove right in. He knew he wasn't very tall, but she was still a few inches shorter than he was. And she had bent forward, allowing him full access to the top of her head. He found that he was actually enjoying running his fingers through her hair, and rubbing little circles across her head and neck. And it appeared that she did too. Every now and then a contented sigh would escape between her full lips. She had begun to relax, and seemed quite happy with the current situation. He began making his way down her long length of hair. He wasn't really paying attention to where his hands were going; he was busy trying to get out the dried blood. When suddenly, he accidentally brushed the tip of her right breast.

She gasped and jumped back, almost losing her balance. He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, making sure she didn't fall. He wasn't sure who was more shocked, her or him. He had felt a spark, like a small jolt of electricity, when his fingers brushed against her nipple. He felt the sensitive bud go hard at his touch, which made him go rock hard at the same time. But when he looked at her face, he immediately felt guilty.

"Alexandra I apologize" he said quickly. He took a deep breath and continued, "It was purely accidental I assure you."

She wasn't having any of it though. She tried to brush it off like it was no big deal, but then she began babbling about how it was good enough and she would just rinse out the soap. She was looking down at the floor of the shower again.

But now that he had been able to touch her, he realized he wasn't quite ready to stop. "No, please let me finish", he asked quietly. Then to cover up the need in his voice, he went on to explain how there had been more blood down toward the end of her hair, and that he really needed to get it out. "I promise to pay close attention and to finish quickly", he promised her.

She finally agreed, but told him to hurry because she felt as if she needed to lie down.

She watched as he lathered up his hands again. Then he reached out above her shoulder, and gently gathered up the long strands of hair. This time he watched his hands as they made their way down the length of her hair, careful to make sure he didn't touch her anywhere else. As he made his way to the very ends, he caught a glint of gold in the corner of his eye. He looked more closely and saw a small hoop piercing the left side of her belly button. Without a doubt, it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. He inhaled sharply, trying to keep a tight reign on his urges.

Alexandra must have heard him though, because she immediately began asking what was wrong. What was he supposed to say? I'm sorry, I have this sudden urge to drop down to my knees and tongue that gorgeous belly button of yours. Oh and by and by, I love the little hoop? Wait a minute, that sounded like something Alexandra would say. God, she was beginning to rub off on him.

"Nothing, it was just a cold blast of water", he told her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, "But it's fine now, see" he said letting the warm water run over her outstretched hand. He needed to put some distance between them. "Now close those pretty eyes, and I'll rinse out that soap".

He was trying to hurry, so that he could get out of that shower as soon as possible, but when she winced he felt badly.

"Sorry Princes", he told her as he finished up. Then he turned off the water and stepped out. He didn't even bother drying off. He just grabbed the towel he had used earlier, and wrapped it around his waist, trying to hide his reaction to her. Then he grabbed one of the dry towels and held it out for her.

She was embarrassed again. He could see her blushing as she rushed out of the stall and into the towel. She took it from him and held it up against her, hiding everything in the front. He took up the other towel and as gently as possible, began to dry her hair. When he was finished he told her he would be right back and he hurriedly left the room.

Once outside the door, he took the towel from around his waist and dried himself off, noticing that he was still hard and throbbing. Pushing thoughts of Alexandra from his mind, he grabbed his pants and pulled them on. Then he quickly threw on his shirt. Not stopping long enough to even button it, he quickly exited his room and made his way down to Michael and Selene's room, hoping they were there.

Luck was on his side, not only were they present but they also had the bag that contained Alexandra's personal effects.

"Your patient, took it upon herself to get out of bed and take a shower", he said informing Michael of Alexandra's sheer stubbornness.

"And you found the need to join her?" Michael asked noting the wet hair and unbuttoned shirt.

Lucian flashed that lopsided grin and said, "Actually, I only helped her wash her hair. She was having quite a bad time of it", he admitted. "But I promise, nothing untoward happened. I was a gentleman at all times", he assured them. Well, they didn't need to know what had been going through his mind the entire time, nor did he feel it was necessary to let them know he had accidentally touched her breast.

"Anyway, I came down here to see if you had her bag, which I see that you do, and to let you know that she was awake. If you'll give her a few minutes, she should be ready for an examination", Lucian told Michael. He didn't want to have any more alone time with Alexandra, at least not right at this moment.

"Fine, we'll be down there shortly", Michael informed him, handing Lucian the bag.

"Good, just come on in when you're ready", Lucian said walking back towards his room.

One in there, he could hear Alexandra rummaging through the cabinets. He opened the bathroom door, and saw her looking at the comb in her hand like it was a foreign object. When she looked back into the mirror, he saw a light flare in those eyes as she caught a glimpse of him standing behind her. She looked him over from head to toe it seemed before she noticed her bag in his hand. She turned to face him, a huge smile lighting up her face. She had a dimple in her right cheek, he found it delightful.

"Here, I thought you may be needing these", he said placing the bag on the vanity beside. He used the bag as an excuse to get closer to her. He watched her looking at the bag and could see a number of emotions racing across her face. She normally kept her emotions in check, and he found it odd that here lately she had been having a hard time doing that. He stood there, waiting to see if she needed anything else. When out of the blue, she leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you", was all that she said.

Stunned, he found himself smiling as he turned and left the room.

He soon heard her digging through her bag, and the water turning on. She must be brushing her teeth. Then he figured she didn't need to be sleeping on dirty sheets. So, he rummaged around until he found a clean set, and then proceeded to divest the bed of the old ones and putting on the fresh ones.

Once he was done, he threw the dirty sheets over into the corner. Then as he started pulling on the pillowcases, he heard her cry out, "Damnit!"

"This ought to be interesting", he thought as he quickly strode across the room and threw open the bathroom door.

"Having problems", he asked. He saw that she was leaning forward and that she made sure her hair was covering as much as possible down both her left and right side before she faced him. Straightening back up, she glared at him with a thoroughly disgusted look on her face.

"I can't seem to pull up my pants", she stated before laughing.

He stood there, grinning like a fool he knew. But she had momentarily taken his breath away. She stood there wearing some kind of lacy undergarment thing. It hung low on her hips and came down to the very tops of her thighs; like really, really, really short shorts. He had no idea what this garment was called, but he really liked it.

"Well, I'm not sure that wearing pants is such a good idea anyway", he told her.

She didn't like that answer. She immediately popped off about walking around in nothing but her underwear for the next few days.

The thought of her running around in front of the entire pack in nothing but those lacey brief things, had him rock hard yet again. Then a sudden wave of jealousy rose up out of nowhere, leaving him on edge. There was no way he was letting any of the lycans see her any way other than fully clothed.

"As enticing as that thought is, I don't recommend it. Lycans have a huge sex drive and as you can see, women are fairly scare around here", he advised her.

He barely paid attention to what she was saying, she was talking about someone named Victoria and he thought she said that she had some sort of secret. All he could do was drink her in. She was a walking contradiction. She was both strong and soft, small but yet her presence seemed to fill the room. She could make him so frustrated he was ready to lock her in a room, and then the next moment she could make him smile. She exuded confidence and leadership, but she was self conscious of her body in front of him.

Mentally shaking himself, he brought his attention back to the conversation at hand. He grinned, the lopsided one that he knew drove her up the wall. He explained that he didn't know any Victoria or what her secret may be, but he was all for her prancing around.

She blushed. She stood there with her pants around her ankles her hair barely concealing her full breasts and a pink stain on her cheeks and he thought she looked absolutely adorable. He laughed at her; it was either that or pull her into his arms and kiss her. Laughing seemed much safer.

"Michael wants to take a look at your back and clean it up some more", he told her. Then he explained why they had taken her pants off earlier, as it was irritating the wounds on her back. So he was sure that keeping the pants off was necessary.

She blushed even harder. "There's nothing to be ashamed of Alexandra." He heard the outer door open and Michael and Selene enter the room. He told her they were here and that they needed to hurry.

She insisted on getting a shirt to cover herself with. Without a second thought, Lucian quickly shrugged out of his shirt and walked over, placing it up against her shoulders. She reached up to take it from his hands, and again he felt the same spark he had felt earlier when they touched. She gasped and jerked her hands back, but he had already let go of the shirt, so it fell between them.

She just stood there, looking at his chest. Slowly she reached out and brushed her fingertips across the scars that riddled his chest. There was no sign of disgust on her face. In fact, he watched her as she traced the puckered skin and she seemed fascinated. Unable to bear the sensations her fingers were causing, he grabbed her wrist, causing her to look up into his face.

"Michael is waiting for you, little one", he said, his voice low and husky. If he had let her continue a moment longer, he wouldn't have been able to stop her, or himself.

She mumbled something, then squatted down to retrieve the shirt. He watched her cover herself, and, then they walked out of the bathroom.


	32. Chaper 31 Finding A Needle In A Haystack

**CHAPTER THIRTY ONE: Finding A Needle In A Haystack**

_Humans_

He knew he would find her down here somewhere. It was just a matter of looking in the right places. Sir William had been down in these tunnels for the past two days, and so far he had found nothing. He was running out of time, he could feel it. Aaron kept making excuses to the Council when he called and reported in on their progress. William knew that with as long as it was taking to locate Agent Douglas, his chances of coming out of this with this reputation in tact only lessened.

Anger filled him, as he continued his search. He had walked one end of this damn tunnel to the other; and nowhere was that stupid woman to be found. He was about ready to give up for the night, when he heard someone moving in the tunnels.

Regardless of his brave talk in front of Aaron and the other men, he had no intentions of confronting anyone. He moved back into the far reaches of the underground lair and waited for whomever was in thereto leave.

But instead of the footsteps retreating, they kept coming closer. In fact, they weren't footsteps at all. It sounded as if an animal were running at high speed, directly towards him. It was a lycan, but he couldn't risk exposing himself to the animal. He needed to find Raze, preferably in human form. But if there was a shapeshifter in the tunnels, that could only mean one thing. Their new lair was close by.

He paid close attention as the lycan continued coming closer. He wasn't slowing down, in fact the werewolf was nearly on him. His pulse was racing and his heart rate had accelerated to a dangerous level. If the lycan discovered him, he was pretty sure he would die of a heart attack before the carnivore could have the chance to eat him. If he was lucky.

The animal never found him though, as it made a sharp left turn. Taking a deep breath, Sir William made the desperate decision to follow the lycan and see where he went. Hurrying before he had the chance to talk himself out of it, he jumped out of his hiding place and quickly ran after the shapeshifter.

He could no longer hear the lycan; but this was the only direction he could have gone in. So he kept running down the tunnel, noticing that it had became narrower. Actually, it had become so narrow that only one person could walk through it at a time, and that person would have to turn sideways if they were of a large size.

William was out of breath and had slowed down to a slow walk;he was ready to give up when the tunnel came to an abrupt end. Pulling out his pocket flashlight, he aimed the weak beam on the walls, but could find no doors anywhere.

He had been so certain the lycan had come this way. But all he found was a dead end. He turned off the flashlight and tried putting it into his coat pocket, when he lost his grip on the cylindrical object. It crashed to the floor, the light coming on as the power button hit the concrete. He bent over to pick it up stretching as he stood up. And then, to his surprise, he caught a glimpse of something overhead. He flashed the beam from the flashlight up onto the ceiling, and found a large gaping hole. This had to be where the lycans were holed up. Which meant Alexandra Douglas would be found there as well.

After examining the entrance further, he soon came to the conclusion that there was no way he could jump that high. He would have to find some supplies and come back. But he wouldn't tell Aaron about his discovery. He needed to get to Agent Douglas before the operatives did.

Things seemed to be looking up, now that he had found them. He would find a way to get up into that entrance, he would have to. He put the flashlight back up and made his way out of the tunnels. Determined to be rid of the thorn in his side before tomorrow night.

He never saw his shadows. But Sterling had seen every move the crooked Council member had made. He sent Jorge back to report to Aaron on what they had found. He was staying there in the tunnels; just to make sure Sir William didn't beat them to the punch.


	33. Chapter 32 Revelations

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: Revelations**

_Lycan Headquarters_

Once Alex settled back onto the bed, Michael began checking out her wounds. Selene stood over to the side, trying to stay out of the way.

Lucian watched for a few moments; then began getting ready, knowing he needed some time away from Alexandra. There were also some things he needed to take care, one of which being the need to speak with his pack.

"Well, it looks as if you have things under control", he said to Michael as he getting another shirt out of his dresser. Grabbing socks and his boots, he finished dressing and stood up to leave. "I guess Alexandra is in good hands, so I will give you three some time alone."

Selene looked up in surprise. "You trust us enough to leave us here?" she asked.

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not a tyrant, Selene", Lucian responded. "I have the utmost confidence in your abilities to make wise decisions. Besides, I don't believe Alexandra is going anywhere anytime soon. Isn't that right Princess?"

Alex looked over her shoulder and glared at the infuriating man. "You got that right, old guy. I still have a few things to talk over with you", she told him. She could actually see him cringe when she mentioned the "age thing". She loved messing with him. He could be so uptight some times.

Lucian hated it when she called him old; he thought he looked pretty damn good for his age. He was letting her get to him…again. But, it was easier to deal with the prickly Alexandra, rather than the trying to handle the mostly naked Alexandra, so he let her comment pass.

"Well…we will try to get to that discussion, soon", he assured her, though he had no intentions of keeping that promise anytime in the near future.

"Yeah, I'm sure we will", Alex shot back.

"Behave yourself Alexandra. Don't give Michael any problems", Lucian said giving her a final warning before he left.

"Is he this condescending with everyone, or does he just save it for me?" she asked.

Michael laughed, "No, I believe he spreads it around fairly evenly. But, I will say that you seem to bring out the best in him. Now, let me get a closer look at that back", he said making her life flat on the bed.

After closely examining her wounds, Michael said, "They're looking pretty good, especially if you factor in all the movement you've been doing this morning"

"Oh yeah, about that…." Alex said, trailing off when her stomach suddenly growled loudly. "Oops, sorry", she murmured. "You know, I can't remember when I last ate", she confided in them. She was feeling ansty, she wasn't used to all this inactivity. Bound and determined she wasn't going to spend the rest of the day lying in bed, she made herself get up, dragging Lucian's shirt along with her. Then she walked over to her bag, and rummaged through it until she came up with her hairbrush.Then she made her way back over to the bed, where she slowly sat down and began the arduous task of trying to brush out her hair.

Selene watched Alex's attempts to run a brush through her hair, and noticed she wasn't having an easy time of it. She walked over to her and took the brush from her hands. She then sat down in front of Alex and began brushing out the tangles. Trying to act as if it was no big deal, she said, "We could get you some blood, Alex. It may even help you recover faster."

Taken back by the female vampires help, she sat still for a few moments before she reminded the normally aloof woman, "Blood only works for vampires."

"We're not sure what will work best for us", Michael told her. "We haven't really had a chance to test any of Lucian's theories out yet. The last couple of days, have been um, pretty hectic", he said with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked confused.

"Well, Lucian told us that he wasn't real sure just what our kind are capable of, or what may or may not affect us. We're going to have to figure things out by trial and error", Michael explained.

"What in the hell are you talking about?", Alex asked.

"We three are the only kind of our species", Michael said trying to clarify the situation for her. "None of us know really know what to expect."

Selene had stopped brushing Alex's hair and saw the look of confusion on the younger woman's face. "Michael, I don't believe she's aware of all the facts", Selene said.

"That would be an understatement", Alex muttered. "So, what's say ya'll enlighten me a little?" she said encouraging them to spill the beans.

Michael and Selene looked at each other, surprised that Lucian hadn't told Alex anything about what she had become.

"Lucian hasn't said anything to you", Selene asked Alex.

"Hell no!" Alex said with emphatically. She sat there a moment, thinking over everything that had happened since the moment she found Lucian in the tunnels. If she were to be logical about it, Lucian really hadn't had much of a chance to explain anything. They had been on the run so to speak, at least until they had gotten to the lycans secondary home. And then the whole fight with Raze and the lashing thing happened. What little time there had been in between, they had only managed to argue. That about summed up the whole experience. Well, except for the shower. Yeah, they could have probably traded secrets in there, but there had been other things on her mind.

With a sigh, she elaborated on her answer. "But to be honest, we haven't had a whole lot of time to really talk about anything", she admitted.

"So what, the three of us are some kind of super lycans?" she asked curiously.

"The three of us aren't anything", Selene said.

"You, me and Lucian are the special ones", Michael told her, "And no, we aren't just some kind of super lycan", he said with a grin. "Throughout the last few hundred years, Lucian has been trying to crossbreed the lycans and vampires. We are the result of this little experiment."

"How is that even possible?" Alex asked.

"It seems that the lycans and vampires share a common gene. One originating from the Corvinus line", Selene began explaining. "Lucian and his buddy Sinje have been literally making there way through every descendant of this name, trying to find a match in the blood."

Putting two and two together, Alex figured out the rest for herself. "Which brought Michael Corvin to their attention", she said. "And let me guess, you were the match they had been looking for", she asked.

"You got it", Michael replied.

"So what are we?" she asked in awe.

"Exactly what Lucian had wanted; we're a cross between both species", Michael said. "Lucian bit me, infecting me with the lycan gene; and then, when I was shot by Kraven, with silver nitrate, Lucian told Selene to bite me. It not only saved my life, but it also completed the transformation. As for Lucian, I know he had injected himself with my blood, a direct descendant of the Corvinus line, and once Raze had returned from the vampires, I assume he must have also injected himself with the blood one of the vampire elders."

"Which explains how he was able to survive the massive amount of silver that had been pumped into him", Alex remarked vaguely.

"Yeah, that and your blood", Michael reminded her. "So, we are all assuming, that by biting you, you will become one of the new breed."

"Is there some sort of name for this "New Breed"? Alex asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. Until we found you and Lucian in the tunnels, we thought I was the only surviving member of this club", Michael told her.

"Lycanpires, or maybe Vampans, God there's no cool way of combining the two names", Alex complained.

"You're taking this fairly well", Selene remarked skeptically.

"Well, I look at it this way. At first I thought I was a lycan, which really didn't appeal to me, what with the furry stuff and all. Now, I find out, I'm not some coyote on steroids, Yeh! Instead I'm some kinda super being that I'm guessing has the best of both worlds with fewer oddities, am I right", she asked turning to Michael.

"Basically. We don't know much, but what we do know is this. Daylight doesn't affect us like it does the vampire. We can stay awake with no problem during the daytime and even go outside. But we have noted that our skin and eyes are fairly sensitive to the sun's rays.

"Yeah, I noticed that. When Lucian and I went over to get my bags and then went into the subway, I kinda had a tingling sensation running along my skin. I just figured it was all part of the transformation", Alex remembered. "Do I have to drink blood in order to continue living, cause no offense Selene, but that idea really doesn't float my boat."

"No, you don't have to drink blood. I've been able to eat a steak without any problems, but I will warn you that the rare steak felt better to me than the well done one", Michael told her. Then he returned back to the topic, "Now, we are stronger than both the vampires and lycans. I was able to fight Viktor, and he was an elder. Granted he was kicking my ass, but for my first official fight as a new breed, I don't think I did too bad."

"So then, you killed Viktor?" Alex asked, knowing now she had been right about him being the victim she had found in the water.

"No, that was my honor", Selene stated somberly.

"Whoa, that can't be a good thing", Alex noted.

"It's not. I know there will be a price on my head, if there's not one already", Selene said agreeing with her.

Realizing this was a touchy subject; Alex began asking more questions, in order to allow Selene time to ponder the situation. "So, what else do we know?

Michael had reached out and placed a hand on Selene's shoulder, offering her consolation. Selene shrugged him off and picked up the brush, then she began working on Alex's hair some more.

"Both species heal at an accelerated rate, when compared to humans. But, judging from my own injuries, Lucian's wounds and now first hand experience with your lacerations, I can verify that we heal even faster than the vampires and lycans. We know that as a lycan, if you were to shift into wolf form, you can heal more easily and faster, right?" Alex shook her head yes. "And the vampires can heal faster if they take blood and/or during the day sleep, correct?" he asked looking to Selene for confirmation. She nodded yes to his question. "Well, what we don't know is how we may be able to speed up the healing process for our species", he told Alex, looking closely at her.

"Oh no, doc", she told him shaking her head emphatically. "We aren't even going there. I'm not anyone's guinea pig", she told him firmly.

"Hold still", Selene said reprimanding her for moving while she was trying to straighten out the mess her hair was in. "And even though he hasn't said anything, I know what Michael is thinking, and yes, this is a perfect opportunity to learn more of what your kind is capable of doing. How can you pass up this chance?' Selene admonished.

"Look, I have already told Lucian that I have no intentions of ever changing. I didn't ask to be turned, and I sure as hell don't want to become one of them. I spent the last few years trying to keep the human population safe from these monstrosities. You can't just expect me to be all gung ho about the situation", she replied angrily.

"You took the news well enough, I thought maybe you had gotten over that little phobia", Selene told her.

"Do I look like a monster", Michael asked her quietly. "And what about Lucian and Selene, are they evil beings?"

Alex stopped short, knowing that Michael had her there. After pausing for a moment, she answered. "No, but you are talking about maybe handful of them are decent otherworldly beings. I have traveled all over the world and seen first hand the destruction and havoc these creatures wreak."

"How are those situations any different than the ones humans themselves create?" Selene asked, anger present in her voice. "Wars, disease, drugs, famine, all of these are manmade atrocities, perpetrated by the human race against their fellow man. What makes humans any better than the rest of us?" Selene said questioning her logic.

Alex hesitated before she spoke. Selene was right. Humans were no different than the lycans, or vampires. There was good and bad in each race. But her fight against the other species had clouded her judgment. She took a deep breath, ignored the pulling sensation in her back and said, "You're right. I have no business judging any race based solely upon the bad things I have witnessed."

He and Selene had both had their illusions shattered, many times, over the last several days. Michael knew this was hard for Alex to accept. But it was necessary, especially if she were to help them in the fight against the vampires.

"What are your plans?" he asked her.

"Originally, when Lucian first bit me, I had every intention of killing as many lycans as I could before I took my own life. Then I realized I was in a position to find out things about the lycans, that we never knew. Which in turn, meant I would have a bargaining chip with the Council. I was hoping I could convince them that I was able to control myself and that I could still be an asset to them", she said, remorse tingeing her voice. "Now, I'm not sure what I want", she admitted honestly.

"Lucian said there were two reasons why the Council had sent a team here", Selene began, "One, being Michael. What was the second?"

Alex looked them both over a while, before she answered. "The Council had been developing a new weapon for us to use against the vampires"

"The ultraviolet ammunition", Selene commented.

"Yes, and as far as we knew, there was no other organization in the world that had the technology or funding to make this long sought after weapon a reality. Until the Council decided it was a worthwhile effort", Alex told them. "We had been using this new weapon for approximately 2 months, when we received a report from our Budapest office that the lycans had been seen using this same ammunition in the gunfight between them and the vampires in the subway. Needless to say, it sent red flags up throughout the Council. I was called in and asked to put together a team. Our primary mission was to locate Michael Corvin and to find out why the lycans wanted him so badly. But our secondary mission was to find out if the lycans were using our weapon and if so, how they had come to have it. We do not sell our technology. What we develop is strictly for our use in what we considered our war against the supernatural. So, the Council was concerned that there may be a traitor in their midst's. Someone greedy enough to be selling out our weapons; therefore, putting our agents in the field, at risk. It was my job to find this information out."

"Which is what you went to talk to Raze about?" Michael theorized.

"Yeah, but let's just say he wasn't real receptive to the idea", Alex said attempting to joke about what had happened.

Michael saw that the Council agent used sarcasm and a quick wit to try and hide her real emotions. He figured it was necessary in her line of work. "So now what?" he asked to no one in particular.

Selene had finally managed to tame Alex's hair out of the tangled mess she had had it in. She put the brush down and looked at Alex. "That would be up to you", she told the wounded woman.

Alex thought about everything she had learned from this conversation and about everything that had occurred since she had made that fateful trip to Budapest. Then coming to the only decision that made any sense she reluctantly replied, "Go find me some damn blood. I guess I'll have to at least attempt a change and see if I can fix this mess."

Michael was pleased. This would not only allow him the opportunity to experience what he considered a miracle in healing, but would also hopefully help Alex as well. "You're making the right choice", he told her.

"Yeah, yeah…we'll have to wait and see about that", she retorted.

"Well, since my presence seems to provoke the least amount of animosity around here; I guess I'll be the one to try and hunt down some blood" he told both women, walking towards the door.

"Well, you better make damn sure that stuff is at least room temperature. There ain't no way I'm drinking it cold", Alex warned him.

"I'll see what I can come up with", he said with a grin, closing the door behind him.


	34. Chapter 33 Enemies Make Strange Bedfello...

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Enemies Make Strange Bedfellows**

_Humans_

He had been in Budapest for two days; the four remaining operatives had been there even longer. And, other than Agent Douglas' attack, there had been no sign of either the lycans or the vampires. William figured his luck must have changed, considering he happened to hear the lycan in the tunnels and then finding their hideout. Now, he just needed to find a way to access that entrance, and his problems would be solved.

He was almost out of the tunnels, when he literally ran into someone standing there in the dark. He took a step back and immediately began ranting at the individual that he needed to watch where he was going. He was so caught up in his own superiority that he hadn't given much thought to the fact that no one should be down there.

When the man didn't apologize or even say a word, Sir William tried getting a good look at him. It was pitch black, without any lights to help illuminate the area. So, William couldn't discern any features or characteristics.

"See here now", William said, "I realize manners are no longer the thing, but you could at least move so that I may pass", he informed the stranger in a very condescending tone of voice.

"You would do better to watch your tone, old man", came the arrogant reply.

With that, the stranger stepped closer to William, and the council member immediately noticed the bright blue eyes and fangs. He was a vampire. The man grabbed William by the throat and pushed him up against the wall.

"And just where do you think you're going?" asked the vampire.

Sir William couldn't answer; his windpipe was closed off. Breathing was very difficult and his face felt hot. He struggled, trying to pry the vampire's hands from around his throat, with no luck. Just when he thought he was going to die, the vampire let him go, dropping him to the ground.

"What are you doing down here", the vampire asked him.

Coughing, and trying to catch his breath, Sir William looked up and sputtered, attempting to answer. The vampire grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up, using excessive force. William cried out, thinking his shoulder might be dislocated.

"I asked you a question, human", the vampire said, spitting out the words between clenched teeth.

"I'm trying to answer you", Sir William said nervously. "I was looking for someone, and I thought they may be hiding out down here", he evasively replied.

"Who are you looking for", the vampire asked.

"A.. um.. a…woman, someone that used to work for me", William stammered. He was afraid of this creature. He had never had close dealings with the vampires. They were unpredictable at best and deadly.

"I want details, little man", the vampire warned him. "And if I don't get them, I will kill you."

"NO!" screamed Sir William.

The vampire, unhappy with this response, grabbed William by the shoulders and pulled him forward, mouth open, ready to sink his fangs deep into the man's throat.

Desperation filled William as he realized he was going to die. Frantic, he knew he needed to do something or he would be breathing his last breath. Then inspiration struck him. "I know where the lycans are," he yelled.

The vampire paused, "Do not lie to me."

"I'm not, I swear to you. I know where they are", William promised. Then realizing this was possibly his only chance of surviving this encounter, he scrambled to bargain for his life. "I can take you to them", he said pausing, "If you will kindly refrain from draining me dry."

The vampire looked closely into his face. "I can find the lycans without your help."

"I'm sure you could", William replied, confident that he was going to come out of this all right. "But, with my help, you could find them faster."

"Who are you?" asked the vampire.

"You can call me William", he said, purposefully leaving out the fact that he was with the Council. He was fairly certain the vampire would not be pleased with that detail.

"Again, I want to know why you are here and who it was your looking for?" the vampire questioned him.

"Look, we don't really have time for all this. Suffice it to say, the woman I am looking for is with the lycans. But I can't get to her by myself. Now, you can easily get into their lair, but you don't know where it is. I propose we align ourselves, even if it's just for tonight", William suggested.

The vampire thought about it. This odd, little man could help him get vengeance upon Michael and Selene. He knew that if he could find the lycans, he would find those two. It didn't take long for him to make his decision. He would take William up on his offer; and once he served his purpose, he would kill him.

"May I suggest you get some reinforcements? We wouldn't want to be ill prepared against the lycans, now would we", William suggested.

"I want proof, that you know where the lycans are hiding", the vampire growled.

"We are wasting precious time", William argued, convinced he held the upper hand.

"I will not have you make a fool of me, human. I require proof, then, and only then, will I gather up a force in order to deal with the lycans", the vampire stated.

"Fine, come with me", William acquiesced reluctantly, making his way back into the tunnels. "But once I show you, I would like to act quickly. I want that woman found."

"I don't care what you want. We will do this my way, and if you're lucky, I will spare your measly, pathetic life", the vampire warned him yet again.

The threat stopped Sir William in his tracks. He couldn't forget the vampire would keep him alive only if he served a purpose. He needed to make sure he did just that. He couldn't out muscle the vampire, he was definitely out of his league. He would have to outthink this creature.

"What assurance do I have that, once I show you where the lycans are, my life is not forfeit?" he asked the recalcitrant vampire.

Anxious to find Selene and Michael, the vampire lashed out, throwing the human against the tunnel wall. "I could kill you now where you stand; don't forget that!" he spat out.

" But, I have other enemies to deal with right now. So, show me your discovery, and I will allow you to live long enough to find the human woman you are searching for. Once we have exacted our revenge, then we will renegotiate your existence", the vampire told him.

Knowing this was perhaps his best chance at finding Alexandra, William had to agree to the plan. He just hoped he would prove himself useful to the vampire; either that or maybe the lycans would kill the arrogant creature. Either way, he would have to worry about that later. Right now, he had been given a reprieve; he would take it.

"What should I call you", William asked as he began moving back into the tunnels.

The vampire waited a moment before answering, "I am called Kraven."


	35. Chapter 34 Getting In Touch With Your In...

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: Getting In Touch With Your Inner Self**

_Lycans_

Alex sat forlornly on the bed, trying not to second-guess her decision. She wasn'tone hundred percentcertain that this was the right thing to do. But, she didn't have long to debate it, because Michael soon came back with a bag of blood in each hand.

"Beware strangers bearing gifts", she muttered as he came striding through the door.

"I would think you would be willing to do whatever it takes to make the wounds on your back heal?" Selene mentioned to Alex.

Alex sighed as she answered, "Yes. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Oh, quit being such a big baby. You didn't make this big a fuss when Raze was beating the hell out of you", Michael chided her.

"How would you know? You weren't even there", Alex stated.

"I've heard things", he told her cryptically.

"Yeah well, that blood doesn't look all that appetizing. Ya got any brownies anywhere?" she asked only half joking. "I would kill for some chocolate or even a Dr. Pepper right about now."

"Nope, blood will have do", Michael told her.

"Okay tehn, let's get this over with", she said reluctantly. "So, do I have to drink that stuff first or what? Exactly how's this supposed to work?"

"Well, that's a tricky question", Michael answered. "I don't believe I had what one might call a normal change. I was bitten first, and once the lycans managed to capture me, it was already a full moon. I began to change right there in the car, then they shot me full of this stuff to prevent the completion of the transformation", he said trying to explain. "I remember it hurt like hell when it first came on, but it was triggered by the moon, not by anything I did. Now when we were in the tunnels and Kraven, a vampire, had shot me with silver, Selene bit me in order to save my life. It worked, but again I didn't have much control over the situation. I just let my emotions take over and the change pretty much happened", he finished.

"What about you Selene, how do you bring about our other side", Alex asked.

"It's easy for me, really. I simply think about my canines extending, and the taste of blood", Selene answered, "of course if we are injured it automatically occurs."

"So, you're telling me that all I have to do is think about the change and it will happen", Alex asked dubiously. "I mean, I have no idea as to what I will turn into, so how am I supposed to imagine the change in my mind?"

"I'll make the change for you, this way you can have a visual to go off of", Michael offered. "I should probably practice some anyway. I haven't even tried since that first time in the tunnels."

"Are you sure about this?" Selene questioned him.

Michael thought about it for a moment, then answered, "Yeah, I'm sure. Alex isn't the only one that has questions about this. I don't really remember much when I was fighting Viktor. During the heat of battle, I just seemed to rely on my instincts. This is something that I need to learn how to control, just as Alex does", he told Selene.

"Fine, then show me how it's done, and I'll give it a whirl", Alex said anxious to see what it was she would become.

"Okay, here we go", Michael said preparing himself.

Alex watched him concentrate for a few seconds; then before her eyes, she began to see his body transform. His eyes turned from their original blue to a silver gray color, and finally hardened into a black so deep it could only be called obsidian. Simultaneously, black veins could be easily seen snaking below the surface of his skin. Then his skin itself changed to a mottled black/gray color. She could actually hear his bones popping and cracking as they broke then reformed themselves, tearing his shirt and pants until they just hung off his muscular frame. His hands and fingers lengthened; with nails, on each appendage, like small sharp daggers. The final change happened when his mouth and jaw converted to a longer, wider version of its original form, molding itself around razor-sharp teeth, with four longer canines; two in his upper row and two in his lower.

Alex found it both frightening and exciting to watch at the same time. It was like driving past a really bad car wreck; you know you don't want to see what happened, but you can't seem to tear your gaze away. She didn't know what else to make of it. Michael's appearance was daunting, and the thought of being like the creature standing in front of her, made her slightly nauseous.

"Did it feel as bad as it sounded?" Alex asked.

"I have to be honest with you, yes it was painful. But it didn't seem to hurt as much this time as it did the two times before", he told her truthfully. "I know we have a high level of pain tolerance, but I also think it has to do with the fact that each time we transform ourselves, we know what to expect; therefore, lessening the pain itself", he theorized.

"Well, I guess there's no sense putting this off any longer", Alex said. She stood up, facing away from Michael and Selene, then dropped Lucian's burgundy shirt onto the bed. "Here goes nothing", she muttered.

She began imagining her body making the same physical changes she had witnessed in Michael's transformation. No response.

"Don't try so hard", Selene suggested. "Just let yourself find the part of you that will respond to the change."

Alex tried clearing her mind, shaking her arms and legs. Then she focused on finding the thing inside her that made her different now. She opened herself up and found it, lurking there beneath the surface. Then suddenly, an intense pain gripped her body, dropping her to her knees. She could feel the change as it came upon her. Bones could be heard as they broke and then re-mended themselves in places they never should have been. She could feel her muscles tearing then growing longer, stronger. She watched as her hands grew and her fingers developed joints they had never had before. Each digit was graced with the same razor-sharp nails she had seen Michael sporting. She didn't look all that different than Michael, except that her skin was a slightly different color than his. Her skin was like black marble, with veins of gold running through it. The pain seemed to ease up for a moment, then just when she thought it was over, her mouth began cracking as the bones molded themselves around four long fangs. Then it was over.

It had hurt like hell, but the change itself took less than a couple of minutes. She stood there a moment, trying to catch her breath. She looked down and saw that she still had breasts, though her shoulders seemed wider. She reached over and grabbed the shirt Lucian had left with her, and held it up to her front as she turned to face her partners in crime.

"Well, how'd I do?' she asked, noticing her voice sounded odd, what with the fangs and all.

Michael, still in superfreak form, looked dumbfounded. Selene was the first to respond.

"That was amazing", was all she said.

"What do you mean", Alex demanded.

"Your wounds, they're all healed up", Michael said finally able to speak.

"They're gone?' Alex said, rushing into the bathroom, trying to get a look in the mirror.

Michael and Selene followed her. "Not completely", Michael answered. "There are still scratches apparent, but the deep wounds are gone."

Alex looked over her shoulder and saw for herself what he was talking about. All that was left of the deep lacerations were scratches, criss-crossing over her back. She moved her arms up and down, flexing her back muscles, and found she was in no pain.

She turned to face the mirror and got a good look at herself. She wasn't beautiful by any means, but the creature looking back at her in the mirror, was now a part of her. She had to come to terms with that. She was no longer the human Alex, she was now something more.

"So, does this mean, I don't have to drink the blood", she wondered outloud.

"I guess not", Selene replied, "But if you're passing on it, I'll gladly take it. I'm starved", she said going back into the bedroom for some nourishment.

Alex looked over to Michael, both of them still in their alter egos. "What do you think?"

"If I had been asked, I can't say I would have chosen to go this route", Michael stated. "But, now that I've had a chance to experience this, I'm not sure I would want to go back to being a normal human. Could you?" he asked her.

Turning around to face him, Alex pondered his question for a moment. "I don't know. I mean, I can feel all these emotions running through me; it's like my feelings are running on super high. But I can also still rationalize and think. So, I can admit, it's not like I've lost my true self. But I can't say I'm truly happy about what I have become, either. In fact…."she said then she stopped speaking and began concentrating really hard. After a few painful moments, she was back in her human form.

"Listen Michael, I have seen far too many atrocities credited to these creatures to feel right at home with them. I know, I know, humans can be as despicable as the lycans and vampires. But I have spent over 25 years as a human, I find it hard to discard that life just because I have become something other than what I was before", she told him vehemently.

"Has anyone asked you to be anything other than what you are?" Michael questioned her.

Alex had to think about that for a moment. Michael was right, again. No one had made any kind of demands on her. Yes, Lucian had captured her, but he had never pushed her to change.

"God you are so annoying! Will you ever stop being right/", Alex asked with a sneer.

"I doubt it", he replied back with a grin.


	36. Chapter 35 Here Comes The Calvary

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: Here Comes The Calvary**

Humans 

Sterling stood there in the shadows, waiting patiently as he heard two people approach. Jorge hadn't been gone long enough to have made it back to headquarters, so he knew it wasn't one of his guys.

His patience paid off, for he soon spied Sir William making his way back to the entrance for the lycans new lair; and, he had a visitor with him. Sterling didn't recognize the man, so he brought out his binoculars trying to get a better look. The man was tall, with black hair, but had no real outstanding features or characteristics; though he did look somewhat pale. Changing the settings on his binoculars to thermal scan, he looked out at both figures. Jackpot! He had specs showing one human with a body temperature of 98.6 degrees and one non-human registering a temp of 32 degrees. William had a vamp with him. The situation just got a little more complicated.

He knew he needed to hear whatever it was these two were discussing, so he stealthily made his way over to them, making sure he made no sound. When he was close enough to hear their conversation, he stopped and hid himself behind a low concrete barrier.

"See, it is here, just as I told you", Sir William said pointing up to the gaping hole in the concrete ceiling.

"And I'm just supposed to take your word that this is where the lycans are holed up?" came the arrogant reply from the vampire.

"Look, I told you I followed a lycan to this very spot, then he just disappeared. Since they aren't capable of teleporting, I assumed he went up and through that opening", William explained. "Are you satisfied?"

Looking around, the vampire seemed to be deep in thought. Sterling watched him closely, hoping the vampire would think William was full of shit. Unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky.

"Fine, I don't have much choice but to believe you", the vampire responded in a condescending tone. "But we will have to keep this quiet, I don't want this to blow up in my face", he said thoughtfully. "I have a few men that survived that abomination in the tunnels; they will follow me without question. I will gather up a small force and we will come back and surprise the lycans."

"How small of a force are you talking about?" William asked expectantly. "These are lycans, they could tear us apart limb from limb", he reminded the vampire.

"Don't be absurd, human", the vampire sneered. "A team of eight vampires, carrying weapons loaded with silver nitrate, could easily take out the remaining lycans. There can't be more than maybe thirty of them left, anyway. With Lucian dead and the element of surprise on our side, we should have them begging for our mercy within no time", the vampire arrogantly informed him.

"Fine, whatever you say, just as long as you make sure Alexandra Douglas is taken out with the rest of them", William told him.

The vampire grabbed the human by his jacket lapels, and pulled him up into his face. "I will not do your dirty work for you old man. If you want this Alexandra person dead, you will have to do it yourself", he told him, spitting into the councilman's face. Then he quickly released him, dropping the man to his feet.

"Okay, okay, I understand. So when is this attack to take place?" Sir William asked.

"It is early yet; the sun has just set. I should be able to round up a team and be back here within an hour", the vampire replied.

"Good, well I will meet up with you then", Sir William said moving back towards the main tunnels.

"I think not", the vampire said, pulling the human back. "You will be coming with me", he informed the man.

"But, that…that would mean going into the vampire compound", William stuttered.

"Precisely. I have every intention of keeping you on a very short leash", the vampire said dragging the human male with him as he turned and left the area.

Sterling waited a minute before he himself hurried out of the tunnels. He needed to inform Aaron and Malcolm of this situation as soon as possible. He ran as quickly as he could, out of the tunnels, through the subway, and out into the streets of Budapest. Hoping he had a decent signal, he pulled out his radio and tried calling into home base.

"Team leader, this is Black Night, do you read me?" he said speaking harshly,

He got no response.

"Team leader, I repeat, this is Black Night, do you read me? he reiterated, hoping Jorge had made it back to headquarters okay.

His radio crackled to life as he heard a familiar Australian accent come over the line.

"Black Night, this is team leader, come in", came the response.

"You had better gather up the troops and bring plenty of ammo. We have a situation here that will soon escalate to a critical level", Sterling informed Malcolm.

"Copy that. Jorge just got here and told us of the lycan hideout", Malcolm came back in response.

"Well, this location just hit the airwaves and the vampires will be converging on site within the hour", Sterling reported back.

"Shit!" Malcolm muttered, "We have to warn Alex", he said.

"I copy that, but it means the team needs to be here in force, ready for a fight ASAP", Sterling noted.

"Agreed", Malcolm stated back. "We're on our way, ETA 10 minutes", he informed Sterling, then signed off.

Sterling prayed they got there soon, then he went back into the tunnels to wait.


	37. Chapter 36 New Allegiances

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: New Allegiances**

Lycans 

Momentarily fed up with men, Alex stalked out of the bathroom, with Michael close on her heels. Alex noticed Selene was finishing up the last bag of blood as she walked into the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Selene asked, wiping the last vestiges of blood from around her mouth.

"Oh, nothing. Alex is just having a hard time excepting the fact that I am usually right", Michael said smugly.

"Men!" Alex murmured. "Can't live with 'em, can't legally kill them."

Just then gunshots could be heard firing through the tunnels.

"What the hell is that?" Michael asked bewildered.

"Trouble", Selene answered.

Not wasting anytime, Alex threw on Lucian's shirt; somehow managing to do up a couple of buttons. Then she ran over to her bag and began rummaging through it.

"What are you doing?" Selene asked.

"Getting a little security", Alex told her pulling out the small revolver and knife she had hidden amongst her things. "Do either of you know where the other bag Lucian brought in with us might be?" she questioned them she darted for the door.

Neither of them had a clue where Lucian had put it. Oh well, she would have to make due with what she had. She ran out of the room and down the hall, following the sounds of gunfire.

Michael and Selene ran behind her, both of them wishing they had weapons of their own. "What are we supposed to do", Michael asked Selene as they drew closer to the skirmish.

"I guess we'll find out when we get there", Selene said uncertainly.

Then suddenly, Alex had a better idea of what they were dealing with. She could smell humans, which could only mean one thing. Her boys had come calling. What the hell! She still had one more day before she was supposed to meet up with Daniel. Why had they busted in like this. Scared for them as well as for Lucian, she picked up her speed as they neared the lair entrance.

Alex burst into the room, immediately noticing lycans, some in wolf form, scrambling for cover on one side of the room. While on the other side of the room, five human males were firing their weapons at the shapeshifters, trying to protect themselves. Lucian was one of the few lycans with a weapon of his own, and he was standing right in the middle of the room, trying to defend his clan. Running through the scenarios, she figured her best hope for saving all of them was to try and negotiate with both sides.

As she hurried into the room, she caught sight of Raze and saw he had a gun in both hands, figuring she needed two weapons more than he did, she grabbed the closest one to her as she sprinted past him. She caught him by surprise, which she knew was the only way he would relinquish the gun.

Now feeling a little better about her chances, Alex came to a stop directly between the humans and the lycans. As shots fired all around her, Alex took her position and lifted both arms, one gun pointed at Malcolm's head, the other at Lucian's.

Lucian spotted Alexandra and panicked.

"Lycans, stand down", he commanded.

At the same time, Malcolm ordered, "Cease fire, Cease fire!"

Finally, all gunfire came to a halt. Alex stood absolutely still, weapons still trained on both the lycan leader and human leader.

"Alexandra, what are you doing", Lucian asked impatiently.

"I'm saving your ass, old guy", she retorted. "Don't worry, you can thank me later."

"Alex, why don't you put the gun down", Aaron recommended.

"Now Aaron, you know I can't do that", Alex stated sweetly. "But I'll tell you what, maybe you can answer a question for me, then I'll consider it", she suggested.

"Fire away, luv", Malcolm quipped.

Lucian took offense to the Australian's comment; he snarled showing his fangs.

"Behave Lucian", Alex warned without even looking at him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a lycan moving closer, heading towards Jorge. She saw the human agent bring up his gun.

"Uh uh, Jorge. Put that away", Alex cautioned, then threw a warning over her shoulder, "Lucian, I suggest you keep your lycans in line."

"No one is to make a move, until I say otherwise. Is that understood?" Lucian ordered.

Alex could hear grumbling, but obviously the shapeshifters agreed, because Lucian didn't have to say anything else. Her problem now seemed to lie with the humans. Jorge was still holding his weapon at the ready. With a room full of angry lycans, this wasn't a good idea.

"Jorge, I ..said…put…the… gun…down", Alex said speaking slowly.

Jorge looked at Alex then looked over to Malcolm, undecided as to what to do. He was nervous and his hand began to shake. Alex knew this was a bad sign.

"Malcolm, control your man", she cautioned.

"Do you expect me to believe you would actually…..", Malcolm began when Alex suddenly cut him off.

"Jorge, do you consider me a good shot?" Alex asked her former team member quietly.

"Yyyes", Jorge responded nervously.

"How often do I miss", she asked him, calm, keeping her weapons trained.

"Never", he replied, looking as if he was ready to jump out of his skin.

"That's right, I never missed; and that was when I was human", she gently reminded him. "I'm fucking Wonder Woman now, Jorge. Just imagine the amount of damage I could inflict, before any of you were able to bring me down."

She watched as the Hispanic man visibly blanched and turned a very pale shade of white. She didn't want to threaten them, but she had to get Jorge to put the gun down before he did something that would be impossible to fix.

Malcolm had watched Alex as she oh so calmly told Jorge she would kill them if he didn't do as she asked. He wasn't so sure Alex would actually act on that threat, but he was sure that he didn't want to take that chance. She was a damn scary sheila when she had been mortal; now, he knew they would be hard pressed to take her down without suffering major casualties.

"She's right Jorge", Malcolm told his team member, "Listen to Alex and put the gun down."

"What if one of those werewolves attack us", Jorge asked clearly scared.

"You have my word, that no lycans will make a move unless I tell them otherwise", Lucian said, trying to assure the humans.

Alex looked over to Lucian briefly, and mouthed thank you to him before turning her attention back to her human friends. She saw Jorge slowly lowering his weapon, until it rested securely in its holder.

"Now, let's see if we can all play together nicely", she stated as a small warning to both sides.

"Aaron, why are you here?" she asked her onetime mentor.

"We are aware of your meeting with Daniel, and we had every intention of waiting until tomorrow to speak with you. But, current circumstances dictated we move this meeting up ahead of schedule", Aaron replied. He had moved closer to Alex, never taking his eyes off the gun she still had pointed at Malcolm's head.

"What meeting is he speaking of Alexandra?" was Lucian's immediate response.

Glancing over at Lucian, Alex gave him a look before answering, "A girl has to keep some things secret."

He snorted, which he decided was something he must have picked up from her, but otherwise made no comment. He would question her later about this meeting.

"So, what are these current circumstances that prompted this surprise visit" Alex questioned Aaron.

Sighing, he spoke. "Can you please put those weapons down; I would like to have a normal, sane conversation with you" he pleaded with her.

She let lose a short, harsh laugh. "Thing's in my life haven't exactly been "sane and normal" these last few days, old friend", she told him.

"Yes well, I'm sorry about that Alex. I truly am. But we have a somewhat dire situation that we have come to warn you about. And believe me, it will affect you and the lycans far more than it will us", Aaron explained to her.

Alex was hesitant about dropping her guard. If she stood on the ready, she could protect both the humans from the lycans and the lycans from the humans. And she knew she was the only thing standing between these two warring factions.

She looked at Malcolm then at Lucian. "If I put down these weapons, do you both promise to keep your men at bay; at least until we've decided if there's actually something to fight over?" she asked them.

Lucian, never hesitating, nodded his head yes; Malcolm did the same.

"Okay, but I'm keeping both guns with me. If anyone, and I do mean anyone, so much as even breathes hard at the other side, I promise I will shoot whomever it is; human and lycan alike", she told them dropping her arms until the weapons were resting at her side.

"Now, can you be a little more specific about what's going on?" she said turning back to Aaron and Malcolm. She noticed Lucian had moved to her side, and Michael and Selene had made their way over to them. But, the lycans kept their word and stayed right where they were.

"Without going into too much detail, we have been watching Sir William closely since you and Daniel spoke two days ago", Aaron informed her. "In fact, he's been spending quite a bit of time down here. Earlier today, he managed to catch a glimpse of a lycan moving through the tunnels and followed it. Sterling and Jorge were tailing him, and verified that he found the entrance, and then left. Jorge was sent to let us know what was going on. Sterling stayed behind to watch out for Sir William. Well, he returned, with a vampire. Sterling saw William show the entrance to the vampire, and he heard them talking. They are on their way back here now, with reinforcements. They plan on attacking the lycans and killing everyone in here. The vampire seemed most interested in someone named Michael and Selene; Sir William is after you", Aaron warned them as he finished sharing his information.

"How do we know we can trust the humans?" Raze stated moving forward, "They could be working with the vamps."

Alex threw the lycan a nasty look over her shoulder. Then she turned to Lucian. "They have no reason to lie. When Daniel found me in the tunnels, he agreed to give me three days in order to find out who was supplying the lycans with ultraviolet ammunition. He could have killed me there in the tunnels; he didn't. They risked their lives coming up here to warn us", she paused a moment. "I believe them."

Lucian looked down at Alexandra's upturned face. She was looking him squarely in the eye; daring him to contradict her. He walked over to Aaron, "Why would the Council warn the lycans?" he asked the elder gentleman.

"We are here to warn Alex", the council member said answering his question. "She may be a lycan now, but she will always be important to me and the men on this team."

Alex jerked her head up in surprise; she hadn't expected such loyalty.

Malcolm had seen her reaction, and noticed the haunted look on her beautiful face. He wanted to take away her pain.

"Yeah, and if I had known she would be greeting us in such an attractive outfit, I would have come sooner", he said joking around with her.

Alex looked down, just now remembering she was only wearing her underwear and Lucian's shirt, which wasn't even buttoned all the way. Embarrassed, she began doing up the remaining buttons.

Lucian had glanced over at Alexandra when the Australian mentioned her lack of clothing. He had to admit, she had been breathtaking when she came flying into the room, flashing bits of skin here and there. It had made him smile to see her in his shirt. But, he didn't like the fact that the human was so familiar with his Princess.

He jumped into the blonde man's face, bearing fangs. "Be careful of what you say, human", he warned the man.

"Back off Lucian", Alex said hotly.

Malcolm jeered at the man snarling at him.

"Malcolm, keep your comments to yourself", Alex warned sharply.

Lucian's snarl slipped into a sneer of his own before he turned his back to the man Alexandra had called Malcolm.

Alex turned back to Aaron who had a shocked look on his face.

"That is Lucian", Aaron said, making a statement really, more than asking a question.

"Yeah, it is", Alex answered.

"THE Lucian", Aaron repeated.

"The one and only", Lucian answered with his patented lopsided grin.

"We thought you were dead", Aaron stated bluntly.

"That was a misconception I did nothing to correct", Lucian politely explained.

"And I take it he's responsible for you recent departure from all things…human", Aaron asked Alex.

"Yeah, but how did you know?" Alex questioned the council member.

"He seems to be fairly territorial where you're concerned", Aaron observed.

"He suffers from a superiority complex; he thinks everyone is his property", Alex said flippantly.

"Now Alexandra, that's just not true", Lucian noted, "But right now we have more pressing matters to attend to. Sir, you are telling me, the vampires are on their way here, now?" he asked turning back to Aaron.

"Actually, there should be a team of about nine vampires and one inept council member showing up here in about 10 minutes, give or take", the response was given in a deep, rumbling bass.

Alex pivoted, looking over at the man who had answered the question. Sterling Jackson walked over to her and without a word, picked her up off the floor, in a huge bear hug. Alex was so surprised it took her a moment to react. The moment she caught her snap, she wrapped her arms around the big man's neck and hugged him for all she was worth.

"Look here little girl", he whispered in her ear, "I don't care what they say; you're just fine the way you are. And no one's gonna hurt you as long as I'm around", he promised her.

"Thank you", she whispered, too moved to say anything else.

He gently put her back down, and glared over at Lucian. "There'd better not be one scratch on her, or else you'll have to answer to me", he growled at the lycans leader.

Lucian grimaced and opened his mouth to speak, but Michael beat him to the punch.

"You don't have to worry about that", Michael said reaching his hand out to shake the bigger man's hand. "I'm Michael Corvin, and I just so happen to be a doctor. I have to say, Alex is about as healthy as a person can be."

Sterling shook his hand and grunted in response to Michael's statement. Then he muttered, "She better be", under his breath as he walked to stand next to Daniel and Jorge.

Lucian looked from Alex to Michael and then over at Selene, just now realizing that Alexandra was wearing clothing and moving around easily. Perplexed, he raised an eyebrow in question. Selene nodded her head in agreement with Michael's proclamation. He was going to have to take their word that Alex was okay.

"Why just a party of ten?" Lucian asked. Why not every vampire and death dealer left? They would have to know we have suffered a great loss after the massacre they had masterminded in the tunnels. So, why not attack in force while we're down?" he asked confused.

"The vampire with Sir William said something about not wanting this to blow up in his face, and that he still had a few men loyal to him", Sterling responded.

"Kraven", Lucian and Selene said simultaneously.

"Tall, black hair hanging to his neck, kind of a pretty boy, oh and condescending", Sterling said, describing the vampire he had seen.

"That would be our boy", Lucian said with a sneer.

"Well, whoever he is, he'll be here soon", Daniel said, speaking up for the first time. "Oh, and uh Alex, you might want to go put on some more clothes", he suggested.

Alex looked down again at her state of undress, and knew Daniel was right.

"Fine, I'll go throw some pants on", she retorted. "But before I leave, when need to got something straight. The vampires are headed this way, so we know there's gonna be a fight of some kind. My question to you, is which side are you going to fight on?" she asked the council agents.

"Do you really have to ask that?" Malcolm wanted to know.

"I know what your answer will be", Alex told them, "But, I believe a verbal response is necessary in order to assure our lycan friends who's got their back in this fight.

"Ah….I understand", Aaron stated. He turned to his team and they briefly discussed their answer before he turned back around. "We have voted and the decision is unanimous; we will gladly fight with the lycans. Sir William has overstepped his bounds, and I believe the council will agree with me on this, he is no longer welcome in our fold."

"Excellent", Alex said. "I'm going to change into something more battle-like and I'll be right back", she told them.

"Alexandra", Lucian called out, "Please try to hurry. I believe we will be having guests very soon."

"Don't worry old guy, I'll be back in a flash", she guaranteed him. "Oh, and try to have me a weapon worthy of a former council agent", she flippantly advised. Then she turned back and headed to his room. Listening to Lucian chuckle as she made her way out.


	38. Chapter 37 No Turning Back

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: No Turning Back**

_Above the Subway_

Sir William kept towards the back of the group, watching the vampires closely. He didn't trust any of them; but he had had no choice in the matter. He was in too deep, and now these monsters were his last hope. Once the lycans were taken care of, he would fill the vampires in on his full identity, and then bargain with them for his life.

He was pretty sure they would be interested in the same deal he had had with the lycans. He would offer them the chance to purchase first class weapons, and in doing so, he would ensure the Council would steer clear of any territories they inhabited. It had worked well before, until the lycans had gotten too cocky. Who knew they would have opened fire on the vampires in public. Idiots!

"Stop worrying William", he said to himself. "You have an excellent chance of getting out of this virtually unscathed. The vampires will take care of the lycans, and you can kill that bitch Alexandra Douglas. Then there will be no one left alive to answer the Council's questions. Everything will turn out just fine", he reassured himself.

His little pep talk was interrupted when the vampires came to an abrupt halt. He looked up and saw them pulling out weapons and checking their ammunition. He pulled out his own gun and made sure the clip was in tight and the safety was off. Hollow point bullets filled with silver nitrate; he would enjoy seeing the look on Agent Douglas' face when he pumped her full of the poisonous metal.

His attention was drawn to the front of the small group when he saw Kraven speaking with one of his men and then looking over in his direction. He also noticed that Kraven hadn't bothered carrying a weapon of his own. So, he had no intentions of fighting this battle himself. He must be fairly high up in the vampire hierarchy if these men followed him into battle, knowing he wasn't fighting alongside them. He wasn't one to argue the fairness of the situation; given the same opportunity he too would sit on the sidelines and watch the hired hands do the fighting.

But he couldn't dwell on it, they were at the subway entrance and Kraven was making his way towards him. Time was up, he knew the vampire would have him killed as soon as they took out the lycans. He was going to have to gain his advantage now, or loose the chance forever.

He resolved not to cower in the presence of the arrogant, intimidating vampire. Steeling himself for a confrontation, he waited for the vampire to come to him.

"Come with me", Kraven said, ordering William to follow him.

"Where are we going?" William asked, demanding an answer.

Kraven sneered at the human before he answered the man's question. "Well, since you are responsible for our little welcoming party, I assumed you would want to lead our expedition."

"No that's quite all right", William replied nervously, "I'll be quite content in the middle of the pack, or even bringing up the rear."

"It wasn't a request. This was your idea, remember. I'm providing the muscle, but I see no sense in putting one of my men up front when this could well be a setup", Kraven informed him.

"Yes, I see how concerned you are for your men's safety. Where is your weapon, Kraven?" William asked, in a haughty tone.

Kraven backhanded the human, throwing him several feet. Then he walked over and spat into the man's face. "You would do well to speak to me with a little more respect", he warned William.

William's face hurt unbelievably. He had thought the man more of a talker and less of a fighter. He had underestimated him. "So sorry", he mumbled.

"Fine, keep your apologies. Just quit sniveling and get up. You _will_ lead my men through the tunnels and into the lycans hideout", Kraven said in disgust.

"But how am I supposed to get through the entrance, it's at least 15 feet straight up", William asked incredulously as he scrambled to his feet.

"Don't worry little man. Theo will make sure you clear the distance", he said laughing, as he pointed to the vampire William had seen him speaking with earlier.

Worried, William walked nervously to the front of the group. There had been no chance to bargain with Kraven. His chances of survival had just slipped tremendously; and there wasn't any time left to consider an alternate plan.

They were moving down the stairs and into the subway itself; him in the lead. The vampires walked silently behind him. His one remaining chance was to find Alexandra as soon as possible, kill her, and then hide until the vampires finished the lycans and left.

He prayed it would be as easy as it sounded.


	39. Chapter 38 Preparing For Battle

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: Preparing For Battle**

_Lycan Headquarters_

When Alexandra left the room, Lucian turned to Michael and Selene, anxious for answers.

"Please, don't misunderstand me, I am thrilled that Alexandra has recuperated so quickly", he began, "But exactly, what in the hell happened when I left the room?"

"Let's just say, our Alex had a change…. of heart", Michael replied cryptically.

"Meaning?", Lucian said, prompting them for further details.

"Meaning, Alex is an intelligent, if not hard headed, woman. She realized she wished to get better far more than she wanted to keep her other form in hiding", Selene informed him. "She made the change, and both Michael and I saw her back literally heal itself. She still has scratches, but the deep lacerations completely disappeared", she said, finishing her explanation.

Taken completely by surprise, Lucian smiled, thoroughly please that Alexandra had accepted her true nature.

"Wait just a minute", Michael said, noticing the expression on Lucian's face. "Don't get all happy thinking Alex has joined our side. She hasn't. She changed only to heal herself; then she changed back to her human form almost as soon as the transformation was over. She has no intention of becoming one of us", he warned Lucian.

"But you have accepted your change?" Lucian asked hopefully.

"Hey, I'm kinda the monkey in the middle here", Michael replied with a chuckle. "I have…. a connection", he said breaking off mid sentence to smile at Selene, "with a vampire, I'm tied to you through metaphysical bonds, and I am the key to creating a whole new species. The scientist in me is fascinated with the concept. I can't go back to what I was. I may not be thrilled with all aspects of our new world, but I will learn to make a place in it for myself", he assured Lucian.

"And you don't believe Alexandra will?", Lucian inquired.

"No", Selene said, responding to the question before Michael could. "Alex's purpose in life may not be the same as it was before you bit her. But, she has…conviction in her beliefs that she can and will fight evil, in any form. Now, she has a broader definition of evil, and she will use her new powers to help her fight that battle", she told both men. .

"She will never willingly make the change again, will she?" Lucian asked them.

"Maybe if her life depended on it, or more likely, if someone else's life depended upon it", Selene confirmed.

"That's what I was afraid of", Lucian responded.

Just then, Taylor came bounding through the entrance, flashing from lycan form to human as he did so. Striding through the room, naked he rushed over to Raze and spoke to him in hushed tones. Raze then gave him instructions and came to report to Lucian.

They had spoken earlier, avoiding the topic of Alexandra completely. It had been stilted and awkward, but they had come to a sort of truce. Lucian would willingly lead the lycans, and in return the lycans agreed to treat all newcomers with respect. It was the only was this was going to work.

Lucian waited for Raze's report, watching everyone in the room.

"The vampires have been sighted", Raze informed them of what he had been told.  
"They have just entered the tunnels."

"Good, are we ready?" Lucian asked.

"We have lycans stationed throughout the tunnels, watching the vampires and waiting for them to enter our lair. Once the vamps are inside, our men will wait three minutes then enter themselves. Thus blocking the only way in and out of the area", Raze reported.

"Excellent", Lucian told him. "Good job Raze, ", he told the lycan sincerely.

Raze nodded once then went to organize the remaining force within the room.

Lucian walked over to Aaron and the other council agents. "We have a visual on the vampires. They have entered the tunnels; which means they should be here soon", he told them.

"We're ready", Malcolm informed Lucian.

"Gentlemen, let me thank you for your assistance", Lucian told them, noticing Alexandra as she walked into the room. He watched her move gracefully through the crowd and over to Michael and Selene. The three of them talked for a moment, and then walked over to a table laid out with weapons where they began making their choices.

Aaron too had seen Alex's entrance and noted Lucian's reaction to her. This was something he hadn't foreseen; but of course, this whole situation was something he would never had predicted happening. Needing to put his, and for some unknown reason Lucian's, mind at ease, he pulled the lycan leader over to the side, away from Malcolm and the others.

"She knows how to take care of herself", Aaron said in hushed tones.

"I'm sure she can", Lucian replied easily.

Aaron noted his features didn't quite match the easygoing tone of voice. He was worried about her.

"There is no one else I would rather have fighting at my side, than Alex", Aaron tried reassuring the other man. "I trained her myself, and you can ask any man on my team, she is the best."

"Yes, but do you still worry about her when she goes out on assignment?" Lucian asked quietly.

Aaron closed his eyes a moment. Then he reopened them and gave his starkly honest reply, "Every single time."

"Have you tried talking her out of this line of work?" Lucian asked as he watched her carefully examine each weapon.

"I have, but I think that Alex would find trouble even if she worked in a library", Aaron said with a chuckle, pride apparent in each syllable he spoke.

"I have to agree with you", Lucian responded in kind. "She has a way of bringing out the worst in a person", he noted.

"She does do that", Aaron agreed with the other man. "But I also know she would give you the shirt off her back if she thought you were in need."

"She would wouldn't she", Lucian replied.

"Yes well um, I just wanted you to know she could handle herself as well if not better than anyone else in the room", Aaron said confidently. "She's lethal, and has put down many a vampire in her time", he reminded Lucian.

Just then, Alex decided upon her weapons and looked about the room, trying to locate someone. Lucian was interested in finding out who it was she was looking for.

Aaron saw her as well, but his curiosity had been satisfied. He knew Alex well, he thought of her like a daughter. He knew who she was looking for. He waited until Alex caught sight of them. When she smiled, he knew he had been right. Slowly, he turned and made his way back over to his men.

Alex had hurried out of the room, and into Lucian's quarters. There she threw on socks, a pair of black jeans, a bra and black t-shirt and her black boots. Then she strapped her knife to her left thigh and pulled on a shoulder holster which she immediately shoved Raze's gun into. Then she stuffed her smaller gun into the waistband of her pants, at the small of her back. Ready now, she quickly exited the room, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she made her way to the main room.

She had switched into warrior mode. At the moment, she had the best of both worlds. She would be fighting with her team and Lucian, defeating the vampires responsible for the massacre that had decimated the lycans as well as bringing Sir William to justice. Because there was no doubt in her mind that William was the person responsible for selling the ultraviolet ammunition to the lycans. The fact that he was siding with the vampires in hopes of killing her, proved his guilt.

Now, she just needed to acquire some real weapons, preferably bigger than the snub nose revolver she had on her, and get ready for a fight. Her adrenaline was pumping, just like it always did when she was on assignment. She was confident in her abilities, but she didn't know how Michael and Selene would handle themselves.

Selene had to be good after all she had been a death dealer. It was Michael she was concerned about. She knew he had never really been tested in battle. So, she was making it her job, to keep his ass safe. Well, that and keeping an eye on Lucian. Yeah, she knew he had been alive longer than she could ever imagine. And he had to be able to take care of himself if he had been considered the vampires biggest enemy for hundreds of years. But, she still wanted to make sure he made it out of there okay.

She walked into the crowded room, and immediately looked for Michael. She found him and Selene talking to each other exactly where they had been before she left. She walked over to them.

"Are ya'll interested in getting some weapons?" she asked the two of them.

"Ya'll! Just where are you from", Michael chuckled.

Alex grinned. "Originally from Texas, but don't let that get around", she whispered conspiratorially in an exaggerated drawl. Then speaking in her normal voice, she suggested, "They have all kinds of guns over there on that table. I say we move over there and pick something out."

"Good idea", Selene responded. "I'm fairly confident, the vampires will be looking for me; I want to be prepared."

"Well, that makes two of us", Alex replied, "So let's get over there before all the good stuff is taken."

After they had decided on a couple of weapons apiece and had loaded up on plenty of ammo, she began scouring the room looking for Lucian. She found him, along with Aaron, watching her. A smile briefly lit up her face as she made her way over to them.

She was almost at their side when a howl was heard. This was the signal that the vampires were close to the entrance. Her gaze met Lucian's for a short moment, as he strode quickly to her.

"Alexandra, stay close", he advised grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him.

"Lucian, someone needs to watch over Michael", she said pulling him to a stop.

"Don't argue with me", he retorted sharply. Then taking a deep breath, he spoke more softly. "Please, I want to be able to see you at all times", he told her.

She knew they were running out of time. "Lucian, Selene will have every vampire here gunning for her. She won't be able to fight them and help Michael as well. He has never had to fight like we have. I know what I'm doing and I promise to be cautious", she said urging him to let her go.

Knowing she was right, he squeezed her hand and nodded in agreement. But as she turned to leave, he tugged her hand, and pulled her close to him. Then he looked over her entire face before he leaned down, placing a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. "Be careful Princess", he told her then he let her go.

Stunned for a moment, she watched him make his way over to the entrance, where he planted himself directly in the line of fire. He was a good leader. She touched her lips for a brief moment, catching a last glimpse of him, before she turned and sought out Michael and Selene.


	40. Chapter 39 A Warning

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: A Warning **

_Subway Tunnels_

They were close. Close enough that William's stomach began to clench in anticipation. The vampires were literally throwing him to the wolves. He hoped to God there was no one around when he made his grand entrance.

They were nearly there when a howl exploded through the tunnels, stopping him in his tracks. He looked all around him, trying to determine where the sound came from. But with the number of rooms down here, it could have come from anywhere.

He glanced over his shoulder at the vampires behind him. Kraven was striding forward, looking extremely angry.

"What the hell was that", Kraven demanded.

"I, I don't know", William stammered.

"This had better not be a set up", the vampire threatened.

"Look, I want the lycans dead as much as you do, not to mention my need to exterminate Alex Douglas. Since it's my ass going up there first, I can guarantee you that I have no deals with anyone but you", William hysterically stated.

Kraven watched the human as he stood there gasping for breath. His face was flushed and he showed signs of expiring right there on the spot.

"Calm down old man", Kraven said chuckling. "I believe you. Let's get moving", he said to his men. "I want to be out of here before daylight."


	41. Chapter 40 Fighting The Good Fight

**CHAPTER FORTY:**

_Lycan Lair_

Alex found Michael and Selene, and took her place beside them. She didn't know what to make of Lucian's kiss, but right now she didn't have time to think about it. Because the moment the thought crossed her mind, a large, blurred object came flying through the hole in the floor.

She soon realized the object had actually been Sir William Grey; and he had obviously been catapulted through the entrance by the vampires. Then, as vampires began pouring into the lair, her attention became focused entirely on the battle at hand.

She counted nine of them total, including Sir William. The vampires were greatly outnumbered, leaving them at a distinct disadvantage. It shouldn't take too long to take them out and hopefully they could keep the casualties to a minimum.

They hadn't seen any action as of yet; it seemed the battle itself was being fought on the front lines. She glanced around, viewing their position. Realizing how far back they were, she felt Michael and Selene were relatively safe. She glanced over at them, and saw that Michael had made the change. He appeared ready to fight and planned on using every advantage he had. Selene too, had gone into vampire mode. She flashed her fangs in a grim smile as Alex got her attention.

"Are you two okay back here", she asked the female vampire.

Selene glared Alex before she responded. "I'm quite capable of taking care of both myself and Michael", Selene arrogantly informed her.

Having no intentions of insulting Selene's abilities, Alex quickly responded. "I know that you can. I'm just afraid the vamps may target you. If that were to happen, you'll need to focus all your energies on fighting them; not having to worry about the newest member of the Fight Club", she said only half joking.

Michael saw the tension developing between the two women and was quick to try and dispel it. "I'll stay close to Selene; that way we can watch each others backs", he told Alex. "We'll be fine", he assured her.

Selene had turned her attention back to the fight, ignoringthe other woman.

"Fine", Alex mumbled as she gave the two of them one last parting glance. She hadn't meant to imply Selene was incapable, but she had managed to offend the vampire. She would have to mend that fence later, after the fight was over.

She slipped away, moving towards the front of the room, and the thick of the battle. She had her weapons cocked and ready, watching for vampires and Sir William. The sounds of gunshots and howling filled the room, surrounding her as she moved around the area.

She was getting closer to the action, because the fighting was becoming more intense. She stepped over wounded lycans and dying vampires. So far so good; there were no signs of human injuries. Glancing up ahead, she thought she caught a glimpse of Lucian, leaning over the hole in the floor. She hurried forward, when suddenly her momentum came to a direct halt.

She looked down and saw a pale hand wrapped around her ankle. Another reached out and grabbed her calf, pulling her down. Momentarily losing her balance, she fell hard, landing on her left elbow, jarring her arm up to her shoulder. When her arm was jolted, she lost her grip on one of the guns, sending it skittering across the floor.

An injured vampire was clawing at her, trying to pull himself on top of her. When he was within reach, he clamped his mouth down hard on her left arm. Cursing she swung with all her might, feeling a small amount of satisfaction when her gun connected with the vamps nose. Not realizing her own strength, she literally split his nose in half. Bones could be heard breaking and blood spurted all over her. But still, the vampire kept a vicious grip on her arm with his teeth. Left with little choice, she took aim with her remaining weapon and pulled the trigger. It was a clean shot right between the eyes. She watched as his blood stream filled with a bright blue flame, the ultraviolet rays. She pried her arm out of his mouth, and left him there, burning to ash.

Ignoring her injuries, she located her second weapon, and moved on. The vampires' numbers had dwindled down, but there was still no sign of Sir William. She had also lost sight of Lucian. She looked around the large room, trying to find him. She saw Aaron and Malcolm, bending over wounded lycans, obviously trying to help. A few feet behind them, she caught sight of Sterling fighting one of the few remaining vampires. She changed her course and headed over to assist him; when he quickly ended the struggle by filling the creature's chest with a few rounds of UV ammo. The vampire burst into blue flames, leaving Sterling brushing ash off of his clothing. She still headed over to that side of the room, searching for the two remaining Council agents. She soon located Daniel kneeling on the floor. She moved quickly, trying to get to him when she saw he wasn't the one that was injured. He was leaning over Jorge, the last council agent. Finding a break in the crowd, she ran to his side.

"Daniel", she called out to him, coming to kneel beside him. "How bad is it?" she asked.

Daniel's hands were placed over the wounded man's lower abdomen. Alex leaned in closer and could plainly see a mixture of blood and silver pumping through Daniel's fingers.

"It's bad", he said in a strained voice.

Alex reached over and grabbed Daniel's radio. Opening the channel she issued out an order, "We have a man down, I repeat, we have a man down. We need medical attention stat."

Throwing down the radio, and knowing her clothes were covered in blood, she pushed Daniel's hands aside.

"Are you hit?" she asked, putting pressure on Jorge's wounds.

Daniel looked down at himself. "No, I'm good", he answered.

"Fine, take off that shirt, we have to pack in this wound. We need to slow down the bleeding", she told him.

Daniel sat there in a daze, seemingly unhearing.

"Agent O'Reilly", Alex forcefully called to him. "Your comrade is injured, I need your help. Now take off that shirt and start tearing me up some good size pieces", she said ordering him to move. "Do you understand?"

Jerking back to reality, Daniel stripped off his shirt and began tearing off long strips. Just then, the three other agents came running over. Sterling began pulling out supplies while Malcolm and Aaron were trying to clear off a nearby table, making room for them to move Jorge over.

In the midst of all of this, Alex watched as Jorge opened his eyes and seemed to be trying to speak.

"Hey there Jorge", she called out to him. "You hold on now, ya hear me. We're gonna get you all fixed up", she said trying to keep him with her.

His eyes were beginning to glaze over, and his body began trembling. They were losing him. His mouth began moving, but there was so much noise in the room, it was hard to hear him.

"Malcolm, I need a hand here", she called over her shoulder to her friend.

Malcolm rushed to her side. "He's trying to speak", she told him. "But, I can't understand what it is he's trying to say. You and Daniel get his wound cleaned up and packed", she instructed. When they were ready, she quickly removed her hands from Jorge's stomach, giving them room to work.

Now free, she moved up closer to Jorge's head. Leaning in, she spoke calmly and optimistically to her fallen teammate. "Look, these guys still jump when I say move", she tried joking with him.

Jorge offered up a wan grin; then grimaced as they began working on his wounds. Alex looked up and saw Sterling had moved over and was pouring sterilized water into the wound, trying to clear it of debris and silver. Once he felt it was okay, Daniel quickly began pushing bandages into the gaping wound, while Malcolm did his best to clear away the continuous flow of blood.

Alex glanced back at Jorge and saw that his color was bad and he had closed his eyes again. She looked at his chest and barely detected a slight rise and fall; but it was still an indication that he was breathing. She reached for his hand and took it in hers; it was so cold. Leaning down even closer, she spoke directly into his face, "Agent Garcia, you fight, do you hear me! That is a direct order from a commanding officer", she told him.

Jorge eyes flickered open. Alex could see that even that small movement had taken a momentous effort; he was weak with the loss of blood.

"Please let them know", he said faintly, "that it was an honor to fight by the side of each and everyone of them", he struggled to tell Alex.

Alex felt tears gathering in her eyes, and stinging the back of her throat.

"I promise", she told him gruffly.

"I was never more proud than when I was called to work on one of your teams", he told her, his voice wavering.

Closing her eyes against the tears, she whispered, "It was my honor to have such a talented man working with me."

Then she felt his hand go limp. She slowly opened her eyes, to see he had left them. The other team members were steadily working on him, to no avail. Swallowing hard, she called out, "He's gone."

They didn't hear her; there was still too much going on around them. She cleared her throat and called out again, "Stop…he's gone."

Malcolm and Sterling sat back on their heels. Both men covered in their teammates blood, both silent in their grief.

Aaron came over and put his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and grabbed hold of his hand with her bloody one. She looked over and saw Daniel was still trying to stop the bleeding by putting additional pressure onto the packed wounds. It tore her up to see him trying so desperately to save a dead man.

She shrugged off Aaron's comforting gesture and moved over to the frantic Irishman.

"Daniel", she said gently, "There's no need, he's died" she told him, grabbing his hands and pulling them off of Jorge's horrendous injury.

Daniel looked at her blankly, shell- shocked. They had all lost team members throughout the years, but Jorge had been like everyone's younger brother. They had all respected and admired the young man. Alex looked at each man, as she imparted Jorge's last words to them; they wore looks of stoic pride. Daniel moved over and gently closed the young Hispanic man's unseeing eyes.

She felt tired right down to the bone. She was tired of seeing people she cared about dying, tired of feeling responsible for each death. Sighing, she turned to Aaron, needing to finish this.

"Have any of you seen William Grey?" she asked.

"No", Aaron replied, sounding as tired as she felt.

"Fine, I'm gonna go looking for him. This….fiasco is the result of his greed and his insatiable thirst for money and power. I'm going to end this", she told him.

Aaron looked at his one time protégé, seeing grim determination lining her features. She wouldn't stop until the man was dead. He didn't envy Sir William, but he didn't feel sorry from him either.

"Do what you have to do", he encouraged her, "Just make sure justice is served, and that Agent Garcia's loss was not in vain", he said quietly.

Malcolm walked over and offered his weapons to her. "Here luv, I know you're more comfortable using weapons you're familiar with. Besides, I don't want you to have any excuse for missing the bastard!"

She went to thank him, when Sterling came over and handed her a belt, which still held a few mini grenades. "You get that sonuvabitch, little girl", he told her vehemently.

Alex placed the belt across her shoulders. Weapons ready, she gave them one last look before she moved away, in search of the man responsible for the loss of Jorge's life, as well as her humanity.


	42. Chapter 41 Tying Up Loose Ends

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: Tying Up Loose Ends**

_The Subway Tunnels_

Kraven observed Theo as he threw the pathetic human up into the lycans' lair; it had amused him. If things went as he had planned, William would be but the first to die. He had given his men very specific instructions, they were to kill all lycans, and then bring Selene and Michael to him.

He watched his men as, one by one, they disappeared into the entrance overhead. He planned on waiting out this little farce there in the tunnels. It wasn't necessary for him to put his own life in jeopardy; he was going to be important to the new regime. After all, Marcus was the only elder left, and he would need strong leaders at his side. This was a golden opportunity and he meant to take advantage of it.

None of the remaining vampires had any real knowledge of his recent alignment with the lycans. Those that were aware of the situation were either dead, or had a price on their head. He hoped this skirmish would take care of those loose ends.

His train of thought had momentarily distracted him, but his attention was soon brought to the present when gunfire could be heard ringing throughout the tunnels. It sounded as though a minor war were taking place up above him. Even from his position, the screams of the dying could be heard as they cried out with their final breaths. He was well pleased with the way things were turning out.

He leaned back against the wall of the tunnel, waiting for his team to return. They would be bringing to him his biggest mistake to date: Selene. That bitch should have been proud to be his. She would do no better, this he knew. He could have molded her into the perfect companion. But no, Viktor had been too lenient with her, allowing her the freedom to become head strong and belligerent. Now, he would have her and her boyfriend at his mercy. She would watch him bleed Michael dry before he killed her.

Smiling in anticipation and reveling in his moment of glory, he had no idea he had company.

Lucian stood there in the shadows, watching his one time partner gloating over his supposed triumph. He was oblivious to the situation above.

"You seem quite pleased with yourself", Lucian said, not bothering to hide the disdain he felt.

Kraven looked up in surprise, trying to find the source of that familiar voice. It was unfathomable; it just wasn't possible. Lucian was dead. He had seen the body lying on the floor, with his own two eyes. He himself had filled the lycan with enough silver nitrate to kill four shapeshifters. But there, stepping out of the darkness was the source of his greatest nightmares. Lucian stood there, gun in hand, ready to destroy all he had worked for.

"Do you not ever die?" Kraven asked vehemently.

Smirking, Lucian answered, "I seem to find many reasons to keep returning from the dead. Thwarting the vampires seems to be my favorite."

Kraven's gaze had become frantic as it darted to the opening his men had gone through not five minutes earlier. He was hoping to be rescued.

"I wouldn't put much faith into your men coming back any time soon," Lucian advised as he began walking around Kraven, towards the tunnels. He wanted all means of escape to be blocked.

"So it was a setup," Kraven muttered through clenched teeth.

Lucian grinned. "We were prepared if that's what you are asking," he told the vexed vampire. "But you're newest partner in crime had no inkling we were ready for your attack," he assured him. "In fact, I bet if you were to ask him, he would tell you he was quite surprised to find a room full of lycans and council agents waiting for him."

"Where is Selene?' Kraven asked. "Are the lycans hiding her and her…shapeshifting boyfriend?" he spat out in disgust.

"Believe me when I say, that I haven't exactly been able to search out each and every lycan that has disappeared since the battle in the tunnels," Lucian answered evasively.

"Give her to me, and I'll leave the lycans alone. You can keep Michael, you won't ever see us again." Kraven said, trying desperately to bargain for his life.

"You are in no position to ask for anything," Lucian calmly reminded him.

Showing a bravado Lucian knew he didn't possess, Kraven stepped closer, pushing the lycan leaders gun, up to his own heart.

"If you're going to kill me, go ahead and do it", Kraven taunted.

As Lucian dropped the smirk, a look of deadly intent took up inhabitance on his face. "I have other plans for you, my friend," Lucian informed him.

Then he lashed out, catching Kraven across the face. His blow sent the vampire flying across the room and into the concrete wall on the opposite side. Kraven hit the wall hard enough to embed himself into the cement. Lucian walked over to him and pried Kraven's unconscious body out of the wall. Then he threw the vampire over his shoulder and made his way to the entrance of his new home. He jumped and easily cleared the fifteen-foot distance from the ground up to the lair.

Once inside, he saw that the small battle was over. The vampires were obliterated, and it appeared that though there were injuries, there were no lycan deaths. Michael was busy tending to the wounded, while Selene diligently helped. Thankful, he looked around for Alexandra and her council friends.

He located the agents, seeing four of the men; but saw no sign of Alexandra. Concerned, he wanted to find her, but knew he needed to dispose of Kraven before he went looking. He walked over to the lycans, where Raze and Taylor were moving the wounded men over to Michael for assistance.

"Raze," Lucian called out, hailing his second in command.

The big lycan came over to his leader, taking note of the unconscious vampire slung over Lucian's shoulder.

"Would you be so kind as to make the necessary preparations in order to ensure out newest..guest, doesn't leave us anytime soon," Lucian requested throwing Kraven's comatose body to the ground.

Raze smiled when he heard the vampire groan as his body connected with the hard concrete floor.

"Not a problem," he assured Lucian.

Lucian watched as Raze bent over and grabbed Kraven's leg. Then he silently enjoyed the vampires' degradation as the much larger lycan began pulling him across the floor. Lucian viewed this procession until they had exited the room. Then he went over the council agents, intending to ask them about Alexandra's whereabouts.

As he neared the group of men, he realized they were gathered round a table. As he drew closer, he caught a glimpse of a body lain before them. Panic squeezed his heart, believing Alexandra was the still form lying on the table.

He rushed over anxious to see how badly she was hurt. When he broke through their circle, he saw that it wasn't Alexandra, but the Hispanic agent that had nearly caused the riot. Relief coursed through his veins, the minute he realized Alexandra was safe; but he still needed to know where she was.

Unable to contain his need for an answer, he looked over to Aaron, "Where is she?"

The elder council member glanced at the anxious man standing before him. Was this the man his Alex had been waiting for? He seemed quite capable of allowing Alex her freedom while still keeping her close to him. If he was whom he claimed to be, then the creature before him was truly an extraordinary man. And that was exactly what Alex needed in her life.

"She went in search of William," he admitted, somewhat reluctantly.

"Alone?" Lucian demanded.

Grief, guilt and remorse flooded him, leaving Aaron little patience with anyone, himself included. "Yes alone," he retorted. "She was always capable of taking care of not only herself but everyone else on her team. That was before her change. Now, she's exceptionally capable of capturing one fifty three year old human male," Aaron told Lucian flatly.

"Fine," Lucian ground out, clenching his teeth to keep from growling at the man. "Which way did she go," he asked attempting civility.

"I can't answer for everyone, but I know I was pretty occupied when she took off," Malcolm answered. Sterling shook his head, concurring with his team leader

"I truly have no idea," Aaron responded regretfully.

Lucian noted that the Irish agent, Daniel, hadn't offered up his opinion. "Do you know where she went", he asked the quiet man.

Sighing, Daniel looked up and Lucian could see the tracks of tears streaming down the man's face. "She looked around in here for a while, but when she didn't find him, she took off that way," he said pointing down the hallway Raze himself had disappeared down just moments before.

"Thank you," Lucian replied sincerely. Then he left the four humans behind as he went in search of Alexandra.


	43. Chapter 42 Vengeance Is Mine

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: Vengeance Is Mine**

_Subway Tunnels_

She couldn't find a trace of William Grey anywhere. She had thoroughly searched the main room, without any luck. But she was determined to find the traitor and make him pay for all that had happened. Ultimately, she held him responsible for all that had happened to them. If he hadn't been selling the UV ammo to the lycans, they never would have come to Budapest in the first place.

Anger colored her vision. She was pissed, and her alternate form seemed to thrive on this feeling. She could feel her body rushing towards a change as it welcomed the high riding emotions she was experiencing. She stopped her progress for a moment, and forced herself to concentrate on staying in her human form, pushing down the anger and her need for vengeance until it was just a mere shadow dancing around the fringes of her mind.

She wouldn't let her thin veneer of civility slip. She wanted Sir William to know he was tried and found guilty by a rational, level headed person; not some crazed, bloodthirsty animal. Once again in control, she resumed her search for the traitorous council member.

She had made her way to the back of the main chamber; where there were three hallways leading away from this room. As far as she knew, each passageway came to a dead end. Which worked in her favor. But, she knew she needed to decide which corridor she would start on, because every moment she wasted, were moments William Grey could use to escape. She looked down each one, trying to remember where each one led.

Down the length of the first hallway, dorm rooms could be found. This was where all but the most important lycans slept. At the very end of this passage were three actual bedrooms. These were reserved for Lucian, Raze and at the moment, Michael and Selene. She wasn't sure where the second hallway led to, but she did know the third one would take her back to the large weapons room, where she had recently been lashed by Raze. She'd save that room for last.

Choosing the passage she was most familiar with, she quickly made her way to the first door. She reached out and grabbed the round doorknob. It was one of the older models that locked when you pushed in the middle button. She quietly turned the handle until it no longer moved. Then, figuring Sir William would be aiming for her head, she dropped down into a squat and gently pushed the door open a few inches. She waited for gunfire, but none came. She used her enhanced senses to see if she could hear or smell anyone in the room. But, she couldn't detect anything but the smell of lycans. Feeling relatively safe, she stood up and stepped into the room.

The room itself was a large, open area. Alex immediately noticed the number of beds, there had to be about thirty of them, each one with a locker at the foot. The room was relatively neat, which surprised her. But after thinking about it for a moment, she figured Lucian ran a pretty tight ship. He would expect a modicum of cleanliness from his pack.

She slowly moved to each bed, checking underneath for signs of recent inhabitants. She also checked to see if the footlockers held anything other than personal possessions. Most were locked, but those that weren't held nothing more than clothing. Satisfied that the room was clear, she moved on.

The next room was set up in the same fashion as the previous chamber. But her search there was as unproductive as the first one. Sir William Grey had not hidden in any of these rooms. Her gut was telling her she needed to drop her search of the area and move onto another; but she was hesitant to leave any stone unturned. Shaking off her intuition, she continued on to the last two dorm rooms.

She had hoped to find William, and though she didn't discover him, she did find something quite disturbing. She found that while these rooms were almost identical to the others, it was obvious they weren't being used. The beds were stripped of all sheets and no footlockers were present. These empty chambers showed her just how many lycans had been lost in the battle with the vampires. Each room could easily sleep 30 lycans; and two of them were completely empty. Their loss had been significant. She suddenly understood Lucian's seeming obsession with keeping the lycans together, and making them stronger. She closed the door on the last empty room. She needed to stay focused, she was on a hunt, and her prey was somewhere close by.

She finally admitted it was time to abandon the sleeping quarters, and look elsewhere. Her instinct was screaming at her to try a different area; it was time she listened. So she ran back down the hallway and through main chamber. She stopped for a moment, trying to discern which way to go. And wouldn't cha know it, her gut was telling her to take the last corridor.

She looked about quickly, hoping for a glance of Lucian, but all she saw was Michael and Selene tending to the few wounded, and the council agents moving Jorge up to the now empty table. Saying a brief prayer for her fallen comrade, she took off in the direction of the weapons room.

She ran quickly down the deserted hallway until she reached the one and only room. She hesitated, almost afraid to open the door. He was there, she could feel it, and could actually sense desperation flowing through the closed door. She knew from experience that a desperate man could be very dangerous.

"Take a deep breath Alex," she reminded herself.

Flattening herself against the wall closest to the door, she reached out and grabbed hold of the knob; and then turned it slowly and quietly. When she couldn't move it anymore, she pulled on the handle and threw open the door.

The odors nearly overwhelmed her: blood, fear, silver, and a strange burning smell. When no one squeezed off a shot, she cautiously poked her head around the doorframe.

The room was huge, running the entire length of the hallway. Her initial glance, showed no sign of life. She took one cautious step and then another, until she had made her way completely into the room. There were few places to hide, as the room was used entirely for training and challenges.

"Oh and punishment, let's not forget that," Alex thought to herself.

The thought of the lashing she had received just a couple of days ago, made her glance over at the whipping posts. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. But upon closer inspection, she confirmed that there was a body lying there between the posts, with each hand clasped in chains. She darted her gaze around the room, and finding no one around, she quickly ran over to the unconscious form.

As she reached his side, she noted (with a little satisfaction), that the captive individual was Raze. She knelt down, and saw that he had been injured, greatly. Silver nitrate could be seen running freely from his shoulder as well as two from the abdomen. She reached out and checked his pulse…it was weak but his heart was still beating.

"Raze, can you hear me?" she asked.

She watched his face for any sign of acknowledgement, but none came.

She raised her hand to slap him, when she heard a faint rustling sound. They weren't alone. She didn't think Sir William Grey was capable of bringing down the big lycan, but then that meant he had an accomplice. Whom she didn't know, but she had every intention of finding out.

Pretending as if she heard nothing, she went ahead and slapped Raze's face, hoping to bring him awake. It worked. The large man opened his eyes and tried to lunge at her, but his wounds, and her quick reaction, prevented him from getting her.

"Good, you're back in the land of the living," she told him, keeping an ear out for movement.

"What do you care?" Raze asked her in his gravelly voice.

"Actually I don't give a damn," she informed him. "But it does matter to Lucian, and lets face it, I piss that man off enough as it is," she finished with a grin.

Her joking tone caught Raze by surprise. He figured she would have gladly left him to die there on the floor. Instead, she had not only stopped to check on him, but she was joking around with him as well.

"Yeah, we mustn't let our fearless leader down," Raze responded.

Alex saw that he had attempted to grin, but it came out more like a grimace. He was hurting badly. She had no idea as to what to do, but she knew she needed to do something fast. She could hear movement again, coming from behind her, and she was going to have to deal with the threat before she could help the injured shapeshifter.

Leaning in closer to Raze she whispered, "Can you shift?"

Shaking his head in disgust, Raze answered weakly, "No. They gave me an inhibitor. It won't allow me to change until the drug wears off."

"Shit!" Alex exclaimed quietly.

They were closer; she could hear what sounded like two people making their way closer.

"How many am I dealing with?" she asked under her breath.

"There are only two of them; a human and Kraven, the vampire," Raze murmured. "Lucian had captured Kraven and I was bringing him in here to keep him captive until things settled down. The human was hiding in here, but I was too occupied with Kraven to notice him. While I was cuffing the vampire, the human shot me in the back twice," he finished, his normally deep bass a bare whisper.

She was losing him, and she knew it would kill Lucian if that were to happen. Gritting her teeth, she did the unthinkable. She imagined her canines extending to their full length, and was amazed when it happened. Knowing there was no time to waste, she bent down and bit Raze in the neck. Then, when blood and silver poured through the wound, she clamped down on her own arm where she had been wounded during the battle. With blood gushing from the torn skin, she quickly put the bleeding wound to Raze's mouth, praying that it would work.

He wasn't able to drink from her long, because she heard the sound of a gun being fired. Reacting quickly, she tore her arm from his mouth and grabbed Raze. Then, using all her strength, she pulled him towards her as she rolled them out of the line of fire.

One of the chains broke, but the other one remained tightly clasped around his wrist, stopping their forward momentum. Alex landed on her back, with Raze's immense weight settling on top of her chest. Left with little choice, she threw him off of her; and then doing her favorite "Buffy" move, she launched herself up onto the balls of her feet, guns in both hands.

Facing her was Sir William and a tall, arrogant looking vampire, both of them armed with weapons.

"You must be Kraven," she remarked, as she carefully moved to stand in front of Raze, trying to offer him what protection she could.

Not bothering to answer her, Kraven countered with a question of his own. "Why did you bite him? You are both lycans, your blood won't heal him," he remarked smugly.

She kept her face totally devoid of expression, but internally, Alex was jumping for joy.

"Holy crap! The vampires know nothing of Lucian's little experiment", she thought to herself. Conscious of the need to protect Raze, she knew that if she could keep the two of them occupied just a little while longer, Lucian would soon come to interrogate his prisoner. Determined to keep them watching her, instead of the hopefully recuperating lycan, Alex moved closer towards them.

"I'm new to all this, I have no idea what will or won't work", she informed the arrogant vampire. "I had to do something, Lucian would've been pissed had I just let his lieutenant die."

"Yes, Lucian would be most displeased," Kraven said with a sneer.

"Forget about Lucian," Sir William said speaking for the first time. "I came here to kill her," he told Kraven.

"It doesn't matter whether you kill me or not, you coward," Alex said calmly, her words belying her cool façade. "All the others are aware of your dealings with the lycans."

Sir Williams' head shot up, disbelief apparent on his face. "You're lying!"

Alex was as close as she dared to get, she stopped walking forward and began moving towards the door trying to keep their attention focused on her.

"Uh uh," Kraven said, raising his gun to aim it levelly at her head.

She had only moved a couple of feet, but she had both men's attention. She could sense Raze trying to get himself together behind her, and she knew she needed to buy him a little more time. Changing tactics, she turned to Sir William.

"Don't be bitter Willie", she told him. "This little coup worked out even better than you yourself could imagine. Brining in a major vampire player should be enough to convince the Council of your true intent."

Looking nervously over at Kraven, William sputtered, "What are you talking about?"

Alex snorted, "Please, your attempt at modesty is laughable. You know as well as I do that the Council will surely overlook your little faux pas with the lycans, now that you have routed another lycan massacre and have captured a live vampire…so to speak", she pondered outloud. Pausing for a moment, she threw what she hoped was an unconcerned look over her shoulder. Catching a brief glance at Raze, she knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. Turning her gaze back to Sir William she acted as if she were congratulating him, "You've even managed to kill one of the shapeshifter's leaders."

Sir William had watched Kraven throughout Agent Douglas' tirade, and knew he was in big trouble. Kraven believed he had set him up.

"She's lying," he replied nervously. "She's just trying to buy some time, hoping someone will come and rescue her,"

Anger clouded the vampire's vision as he turned to the human. He raised his arm, aiming his second weapon between the man's eyes. "I suggest you try harder to convince me of your innocence", he warned Sir William.

Eyes darting between Alex and Kraven, the elderly gentleman wiped the sweat that had begun beading on his forehead. He was screwed, if he sided with Kraven, he would never be able to go back to the Council or his human life again. If he sided with Agent Douglas, Kraven would possibly kill him or the other agents would take him back to the Council to be judged. His life as he knew it was over. Backing away from both his enemies, he frantically looked for another way out.

"This is the only way out," Kraven informed him. "Do you really believe that I would allow you to leave?" Kraven asked the desperate man.

"But…but, I killed the lycan in order to save you", Sir William stammered.

Alex sensed the tables were turning. Taking advantage of the moment, she retorted, "That's just icing on the cake, baby."

"SHUT UP!!" Sir William yelled at her.

Alex noticed his face was turning a dark red color, and he was breathing very heavily. It didn't look good for Sir William. She saw that Kraven was inching his way towards him.

Then Sir William stopped suddenly, surprising both Alex and the vampire. He turned to look at her, anger and regret crossing his features.

"You stupid bitch! This is all your fault," he said forcing the words through clenched teeth. "Why couldn't you have just come here and done your job. I had everything under control until you went and got yourself bitten", he said, spittle flying from his lips.

Furious and guilt ridden, Alex retorted, "I was doing my job; and so was Jorge when he was killed by the vampires, you bastard! If you hadn't sold the UV ammo to the lycans we would have never been here in the first place. So, don't lay the blame at my door, when your greed brought us to the godforsaken country. If you manage to survive this, I hope the loss of my humanity and Jorge's sacrifice haunts you for the rest of your life!"

All was quite for a moment, and then the next few minutes seemed to move in slow motion. Sir William looked up briefly, and then, without warning, he brought his gun up. Alex knew he was going to shoot her. She moved trying to shield herself from his bullets. But he never came close to her. Instead, Sir William put the muzzle to his temple and pulled the trigger.

Alex watched in horror as the former Council member's body slumped to the floor, and began convulsing. He was still alive. Ignoring Kraven, she ran over, slipping in the brains and blood splattered along the floor. She reached his side and watched as he coughed up more blood, trying to speak. She bent over, trying to hear what he was trying to say. Coughing blood into her face, Sir William uttered his last words.

"I hope this is a memory that will haunt _you_ in your dreams." Then the old man no longer moved, as he lay dead in a pool of his own blood.

Alex sat there, stunned and numb from the bitter words he had left her with. Then remembering she wasn't alone, she turned ready to confront her one remaining threat.

But other than Raze, no one else was in the room. She was torn between searching for the vampire and helping Raze; she just stood there trying to decide.

Lucian walked in at just that moment. He saw Alex standing in a growing pool of red liquid. She had blood splattered across her face, in her hair, and dripping down a vicious looking wound in her arm. She looked like hell, but she was alive. He ran over to her and gently took the guns from her hands.

"Alexandra, are you okay?" he asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

She looked blankly at the man she had come to admire and respect…and maybe even love. "Kraven got away," she said vaguely.

"It's okay, we'll get him next time," Lucian assured her.

She turned and pointed over to Raze. "He's dying. I tried to save him…but I'm not sure I did the right thing," she said woodenly.

Lucian looked over and saw Raze trying to get to his feet. He quickly moved to his friend's side and literally tore the chain from the post. Then he reached out and gave the bigger lycan his hand. Raze took it and pulled himself up.

"Will you live?" Lucian asked worriedly.

Raze struggled against the pain, but lifted his head and met his leader's eyes. "Yes, thanks to her, I will survive."

Both men glanced over at Alexandra, just in time to see her fall gracefully to the floor.


	44. Chapter 43 Torn Loyalties

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: Torn Loyalties**

_Subway Tunnels_

Lucian came striding through the main chamber, carrying Alex in his arms. Raze was following, but at a much slower pace.

"Michael, we need some assistance over here," Lucian called out. "Any unharmed lycans, start a search, Kraven has escaped", he said issuing out orders.

Michael and Selene were with the agents, waiting for Lucian, Raze, & Alexandra to come back. When Michael caught sight of the bloody mess in Lucian's arms he immediately stood up and began clearing an area on the floor for Alex.

"Selene, please get together the supplies we were using earlier," he asked as watched Lucian place Alex's unconscious form on the floor.

Alex's human friends hurried over, bringing their supplies as well. Lucian felt a slight stab of jealousy, as he watched Malcolm open a bottle of water and gently wash the blood off of Alex's face.

"What happened to her," Aaron asked, watching in concern.

"I'm not sure, I walked into the weapons chamber to find Alexandra covered in blood, Raze on the floor, and a human male dead on the floor," Lucian explained. Then flinched as he remembered Raze was injured as well. "Raze is hurt badly. I'll go get him and bring him back as well," he told Michael and the others.

He stood and turned just as Raze entered the room. Lucian walked over to him and gave him a supporting arm to lean on. Then the two of them made their way over to the makeshift clinic.

Michael looked came over to asses the lycans' injuries. Alex, has fainted, probably from too much blood loss. The humans are medics, they can take care of her," he assured Lucian. "Damn, how did you survive this?" he asked turning to Raze when he saw the three bullet holes and the bite mark on his neck.

Raze glanced down at Alex before looking back up at Lucian and Michael. "She bit me, then tore a wound on her arm so that I could feed from her," he explained, his voice growing stronger. "I'm not sure why she did it?" he admitted outloud.

"Because that is who she is", Aaron told them as he walked over. Turning to Lucian he asked, "You said you saw a human dead in the room?"

Lucian glanced briefly at the Council member then focused his attention back on Michael. "Yes, there was an older human male lying in a pool of blood on the floor in the training room," he said answering the man's question.

"So, she did kill him," Aaron mused more to himself than to the other men around him.

"No, she didn't," Raze informed him.

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked confused. "Did you kill him then?"

"The man shot me in the back with silver nitrate," Raze said in disgust. "I was hardly in the position to take him down. After Alex tried to heal me, Kraven and the human shot at her. She managed to avoid the bullet and pulled me to safety. Then she confronted them, trying to give me time to recuperate," he stopped explaining and grunted in pain, as Michael probed the bullet wound in his shoulder.

"Sorry about that," Michael told the big lycan. "But I need to clear these wounds of all silver. You may as well sit back and suck it up," he told them.

Raze grunted again, but sat still and let Michael take back up where he had left off.

"Please continue," Aaron urged.

Looking at Lucian, Raze resumed, "She turned the tables on the human. She made it sound as if he had set Kraven up. The vampire was ready to kill the man, when the human turned his gun on himself. He shot himself in the head."

Lucian glanced over to where Alexandra laid on the floor, surrounded by the agents and Selene. He watched as the Australian carefully stitched up the wound on her arm, while Selene tried to clean her up as much as possible. She groaned softly, as her eyes fluttered open. He watched as her eyes lit up when she saw Malcolm and the others.

"What the hell….," she said her voice trailing off as she attempted to sit up.

"No way", Daniel told her pushing her shoulders back to the ground. "You stay right there and let Mal finish," he said reprimanding her.

Alex reluctantly stayed on the floor, but looked around her. Seeing Selene she asked, "Is Lucian okay?"

Selene looked over her shoulder to catch Lucian watching them closely. Turning back to Alex she reassured the young woman's fears, "He's fine. See, he's over there talking with Michael, Raze and your friend Aaron," she said, nodding her head in their direction.

Alex turned her head and found Lucian studying her intently. She felt the warmth of his gaze and she felt a sharp tug in her lower region. She quickly looked him over, checking for any sign of injury. Seeing none, she finally returned her gaze to his face and smiled, relieved his was unharmed.

She saw the distant look in his eyes fade when she smiled at him. But the cold, arrogant look returned when Malcolm interrupted their moment.

"There luv, your as good as new," he promised her in a forced attempt at cheerfulness.

She broke eye contact with Lucian and looked at the sad countenances of her friends. She could see they were grieving for Jorge, but they seemed to be grieving for her as well. They felt as though they had lost two teammates.

"How did I end up here?" she asked.

"Your knight in shining armor came charging into the room carrying you, the damsel in distress", Daniel said, bitterness tingeing his voice.

Selene glared at the hotheaded Irishman. "You fainted," she informed Alex. "Lucian brought you in here for Michael to have a look at you."

Again, Alex turned to the group beside her, searching for Lucian. He was still watching her, concern etched in his intense features. He was worried about her, and that made her feel all tingly inside.

Then noticing Michael was working on Raze, she pulled herself to a sitting position. The room seemed to tilt for a moment before it righted itself again. She must have lost more blood than she initially thought. Shrugging off the slight dizziness, she was determined to stand on her own two feet.

Sensing her intentions, Lucian came over and offered her his hand. Surprised, Alex reached out and took it. He offered her his strength, without making it look like she had to use his support to get up. He knew she hated showing weakness of any kind, and she was grateful.

Looking up into his intense gaze, she spoke up. "What is it about you that makes me faint whenever you're around?"

Lucian offered her that lopsided grin she had come to adore. "It must be my animal magnetism," he responded.

She snorted, but smiled as well. "Watch out old guy, that may have been a joke you just made," she told him.

"Yes, well it must be the company I've been keeping of late", he said straight-faced. "They seem to be rubbing off on me."

"How's Raze?" she asked, all joking aside.

Lucian continued his appraisal of her: his eyes darting over her pale features, the now stitched wound in her arm, and the blood that still adorned her clothing. "Michael's working on him now," he finally answered. He reached out and brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen in her face.

Alex looked to the floor, Lucian's tenderness washing over her. Right then, she wanted nothing more than for him to wrap his arms around her and hold her. Then she felt his fingers gently tug on her chin and raise her eyes to meet his.

"Princess, are you sure you're okay," he asked softly.

"She'll be just fine," Malcolm interjected, again breaking up their moment. "She's managed to survive this long without your assistance, and she's endured much worse, I know," he informed Lucian tightly.

Lucian dropped his arm, releasing her from his gentle grasp. "Yes, Alexandra is an extraordinary woman. I'm beginning to think she only endures our company because she would hate to hurt our feelings," he said with a small smile, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"I'm not so sure of that, Alex has always enjoyed my company," Malcolm spouted off smugly.

Alex watched as Lucian's jaw tightened and his eyes hardened. Malcolm had stepped over the line, and Lucian seemed ready to put him in his place. The testosterone levels were rising.

"Okay, I hope you two are finished with this little pissing contest. We have other things to worry about," she admonished them.

Lucian and Malcolm glared at one another for a few more moments, before Lucian turned to Alex. "You're right, as usual. It is of no importance as to how much time you've spent with our Australian friend here. That's your business, not mine," he announced before he turned his back on her and went back to Raze's side.

"OH!!! Who the hell did he think he was?" Alex thought to herself. "Pigs!" she muttered under her breath.

Selene, who had stood close to Alex and watched the entire exchange, grinned at the curse. "I agree totally, men can be such a pain in the ass!" she confided to Alex. "I bet you'd feel better once you're cleaned up a bit," she said in a conspiratorial whisper.

Alex sighed, she would love to stand under a steady stream of hot water and let it wash away the blood that tainted her skin as well as the memories that tainted her thoughts. But she needed to report all that had happened to Aaron. And then from there, she had some major thinking to do.

"A shower sounds amazing," she said agreeing with the female vampire. "But I must speak with Aaron first."

"That's not necessary," her former mentor said as he made his way over to her. "Mr. Raze has been kind enough to inform me of all that took place in the chamber. If you want to get cleaned up, we can speak later," Aaron suggested.

"I always give my statement once an assignment is concluded," she said, her temper beginning to simmer. "I've found Michael Corvin and ferreted out the traitor. I believe my assignment has been completed. I want to make my report."

Aaron didn't want to have to do this; he wanted Alex to come back with them. It was time to make some changes within the Council, and she would be the best place to start. But, he saw the pull between her and Lucian. She would never admit it, but she needed to stay here.

Turning, a sad look on his face, he said, "Agent Douglas, due to uncontrollable circumstances, you are relieved of your duties. I need any and all Council issued weapons and gear you may have in your possession."

Alex stood there dumbfounded. For once in her life, she had absolutely nothing to say. Aaron had just fired her, and none too gently either. She felt tears burn in the back of her throat. Swallowing hard, she pushed down her pain and looked over at the other council agents. They seemed as surprised as she was.

Daniel was the first to react, "What in the hell are you doing?" he asked Aaron.

Standing firm, Aaron responded, "I'm letting her go."

"Why did we come here and fight, why did Jorge forfeit his life if not to bring Alex back with us?" Daniel asked confused and angry.

"Agent Garcia lost his life in the line of duty, do not tarnish his sacrifice by saying it was in vain," Aaron replied angrily. "We were here to find out who was selling to the lycans; we have done that and taken care of the individual as well. Our work here is done," he said in a voice that brooked no argument.

"Actually, Alex accomplished all that, not us", Malcolm reminded him.

"And I know I speak for the Council, when I say that we appreciate all Ms. Douglas has done to help the cause. But due to her current circumstances, it would be in everyone's best interest if she were to vacate her position," Aaron replied. "Gather up your things, we're going back to headquarters," he told the agents. Unable to look Alex in the eye, he turned to follow his men.

"Aaron, why are you doing this?" Alex asked quietly.

It was the quiet sadness in her voice that stopped him. Angry Alex he could ignore, but a hurt Alex made him want to cry. Not daring to look at her, he offered up his only explanation, "You belong here, I'm just not sure you realize that yet."

"Isn't that my decision to make?" she asked fiercely.

Sighing, Aaron suddenly felt 2oo years old. Alex was like a daughter to him; he couldn't turn his back on her, no matter how badly she needed him to. He threw her a quick glance over his shoulder and spoke briefly, "We're leaving tomorrow morning, 5:00 am. The plane is picking us up at the same private airstrip you arrived on." Then he moved away from her, going to help his team.

Alex watched her friends gather their things together; and when Sterling threw Jorge's body over his shoulder, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. They left, without a word. She had felt a short moment of happiness when Aaron had given her the chance of going home. But her happiness was short lived, for she immediately felt a stab of despair at the thought of leaving.

Selene walked over to her and placed her hands on Alex's shoulders. "Let's get you cleaned up. Then, we can figure things out from there", the vampire promised her.

Alex let Selene steer her away from the men and down the corridor to Lucian's room, while her heart warred with her head as to which decision she should make.


	45. Chapter 44 Savoring The Moment

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: Savoring The Moment **

PLEASE NOTE: This chapter contains explicit sexual content and word usage.

_Subway Tunnels_

Alex stood under the showerhead, watching the pink tinged water swirling down the drain. Selene had pushed her into the bathroom with strict instructions to bathe until the water ran clear, then she disappeared. Now, she stood there, letting the water run over her and feeling sorry for herself.

"How had her life gotten to this point?" she wondered to herself. "Just a week ago, she was happily fighting vampires in New Orleans…well, maybe not happily, but she knew who she was and what she stood for. Now, she was confused about who was right and who was wrong. Which species was truly monstrous and which ones just pretended to be, so they were left alone. And where did she fit in? At first, she had only wanted to die, taking out as many lycans as possible. Then she wanted to find out who had been selling under the table to the lycans and bring that information back to the Council herself. Now, she wasn't so sure she wanted to leave.

Tired of her pity party, Alex grabbed the bar of soap and scrubbed herself for all she was worth, trying to block out the video that seemed to play in her mind. But even with the best of intentions, every time she closed her eyes, she could see herself sinking her fangs into Raze's neck, or watch as Sir William blew his brains out. It was disconcerting. But what really bothered her was she wasn't sure which of the two images disturbed her more.

She had seen plenty of blood, guts and everything in between over her illustrious career; she had caused a fair share of it herself. So, Sir Williams' suicide wasn't what made her ill. It was the fact that he truly blamed her for his actions, and he wanted it to bother her for the rest of her life.

But, she was sick by the thought of what she had done to Raze. She knew she had bitten him in hopes of saving his life, that wasn't what she found alarming. It was the fact that she actually enjoyed sinking her teeth into his flesh and tasting his blood. Truth be told, she had to force herself to pull away. Even now, she found herself gagging at the thought of the lycan's blood coursing through his veins and into her eagerly awaiting mouth.

She forced her eyes open and rinsed off, making sure there were no traces of blood left in her hair or on her body. Then she stepped out of the shower stall and only half-ass dried off, before she grabbed her toothbrush and tried to get the taste of blood out of her mouth.

After rinsing out her mouth, she slowly lifted her gaze, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her usually golden skin was pale and drawn. Her long red-gold hair lay in tangles around her face. She was no longer the same Alex Douglas, and she could never go back. With a sigh, she wrapped the towel around her and ran a brush through her hair. Now that she was cleaned up as good as could be expected, she had to figure out what she was going to do about clothing.

She stepped out of the steamy bathroom, and into the much cooler bedroom. Standing there a moment, she let the cool air caress her skin, until she literally had goosebumps running down her arms. Then with a start, she realized the goosebumps weren't the result of the cold air. She looked around the room and finally settled her gaze upon the man occupying the only chair available.

Lucian had watched Alexandra as Selene and taken her from the main chamber. Her shoulders had been slumped and he felt a sudden urge to kill the man responsible for her sadness. Then he stopped himself from following Aaron when he realized that he himself held the greater part of that blame. He was the one that had bitten her; he had taken her from all she had known. He couldn't change what he had done, all he could do was try and make it better for her.

So, he sat there trying to patiently wait as she finished up her shower. When she walked out of the bathroom and stood there, he noticed every drop of water that clung to her skin. He even noticed the goosebumps as they raised themselves along her arm. He had never allowed anyone to affect him this way, not since Sonja was alive.

When she caught his stare, color rose to her cheeks.

"I see you are clean yet again," Lucian commented.

With a nervous smile, she responded, "Yeah, and I managed to do it all by myself."

"Pity," Lucian said still watching her with a growing hunger.

Alex didn't know if it was possible, but she felt as is if her body had caught on fire under his burning stare. Uncomfortable, she squirmed before grabbing at the towel to make sure it stayed in place.

"Um…I need to get dressed", she blurted out.

"Pay me no mind, I won't get in your way," Lucian commented, his already sexy voice dropping an octave.

"Well, it would be easier if I had clothes," she retorted, trying not to let him get to her.

Lucian stood and calmly walked over to his dresser. Opening a drawer he pulled out a dark blue silk shirt. He turned and made his way over to her, making her feel as if a great predator were stalking her. His gaze was hot, intense and she felt it all the way to her toes.

Lucian stopped directly in front of her, and without uttering a sound; he reached out and pulled the towel away from her body.

Alex was frozen, unable to move a muscle. She stood there completely naked and all she could do was try and breathe.

Lucian held the shirt out for her to slip her arms into, which she did. Once the shirt had settled around her, he grabbed her hands, preventing her from fastening the buttons. Holding her arms down at her side, he raked his gaze over her from top to bottom, lingering on the skin revealed by the open gaps of the shirt.

Lucian was enthralled. He didn't know what had possessed him to strip of her of the towel. All he knew was that he needed to see her, and she was beautiful. Her breasts were full, her waist small. He even managed to get a really good look at the golden hoop adorning her belly button; the muscles taut and tight around the little gold ring. He dared a glimpse of nether region, and saw that she was neatly trimmed. He longed to reach out and brush his fingers against her, to see how his perusal had affected her. He had forced himself to put his shirt on her, but couldn't help himself, as he had to get one final glimpse of her golden perfection before she secured the buttons.

Once her body was etched firmly in his mind, he looked back into her eyes, surprised by the passion he saw ignited in their depths. She was as affected by him as he was by her. Taking yet another chance, he reached out for the edges of the shirt. Then as he went to button it up, he bent down and kissed the cleft between her breasts, before he buttoned the first button. The he slowly dropped to his knees as he repeated the kiss before each new button was fastened. When he reached her belly button, he could no longer contain himself. He flicked the golden hoop with his tongue before he dipped it into her belly button. She gasped outloud. It was at that moment that Lucian gave up any pretensions of composure he may have had. He brushed his fingers across the peach fuzz covering her mons, moaning when he felt her wetness. He parted her lips and softly explored her while he nibbled on the sensitive skin around her piercing.

He felt it when Alex's knees began to buckle. He looked up into her face, and saw her eyes were glazed and she had begun whimpering. Lucian withdrew his fingers, placing them in his mouth to taste her juices.

Alex stood there, watching him as Lucian teased her unmercifully, never really allowing her the full pleasure she was sure those fingers could bring. She wanted to feel his fingers inside her, probing her depths until she screamed his name in release. When he stopped and consumed her juices off of his finger, she couldn't stand it any longer. She pulled at the shirt, ripping buttons off in her impatience to be rid of the garment. Then walking past him, she slowly made her way to his bed, climbing onto it like a cat. She crawled across the sheets, allowing him a full view of her ass and nether regions. Tuning over to lay on her back, she propped herself up on her elbows, waiting for him to come to her. He stood, but made no move to join her. Needing to relieve the sexual tension building up inside her, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She moved a couple of pillows behind her and lay back against them. The bringing both knees up she planted her feet flat against the sheets. She watched his face as she parted her knees allowing him a glimpse of her before she reached down and ran her fingers along the length of her slit.

Lucian watched her, mesmerized by her boldness. She needed to go back to the Council, it is what would make her happy. But he was no fool, she wanted him and he wanted her. So he was going to take what he had wanted now for days, what she was freely offering. Then he would send her away.

He took off his shirt, slowly, watching her as she continued stroking herself. Her gaze was voracious; he smiled in anticipation. He toed off his boots, and then undid the button on his pants. He let them drop before he pulled off his socks and pants at the same time. He stood there naked, his member jutting up proudly against his stomach.

Alex watched him undress, her gaze devouring him as she took in every inch of his slim but muscled body. Her eyes rounded and her hand stilled its' motion when her gaze came to rest on his long, thick cock. .

Lucian came to stand at the side of the bed. He reached over and rested his hand on Alex's knee, then ran it gently down the top of her thigh. She shivered in anticipation.

"I want you Alexandra," Lucian told her in no uncertain terms.

She got up on her knees, facing him. She moved in close enough to kiss him, but instead she leaned in and lightly brushed the tip of her tongue across his lips. Then, as she started pulling away, Lucian grabbed her by the back of the head and drew her back in, capturing her mouth with his. Alex groaned as Lucian thrust his tongue inside her mouth. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. Lucian held her tight against him, ravaging her lips and tongue with his own, until he felt as if he were drowning.

"Whoa, that was some kiss," Alex replied, pulling back so that she could catch her breath.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Lucian said with a grin.

"Promises, promises," Alex taunted.

"Turn around Princess," he told her.

She turned, looking back over her shoulder. Lucian climbed up on the bed behind her, then reaching around her he cupped both breasts in his hands. His head dripped forward, nibbling a path from the base of her neck up to her ear. Then as his teeth nipped at her lobe, his fingers moved up to brush across her nipples.

Alex leaned back against Lucian, just taking pleasure in the feeling of being in his arms. But, not wanting to be left out of all the fun, she reached back behind her and found him, hard and ready. She wrapped her hand around him and began stroking, building a slow, steady rhythm.

"Alexandra, you will be the death of me yet," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath blowing seductively across her skin.

He reached between their bodies, releasing his member from her hand and gently pushing her forward until she was on her hands and knees. He then ran his left hand lightly down the length of her spine and lower, until he reached her center of pleasure. He explored her wet slit with nimble fingers, exerting only slight pressure every once in a while. He heard a small moan escape from low in her throat, almost a growl. She began pushing back against his hand, begging for more with each thrust of her hips.

Slowly, he slipped one finger inside her, and groaned himself in appreciation of her tight, hot passage. Alex, gasped outloud and stilled her motions for a brief moment. Then when he slipped in another finger, she could no longer contain herself. She began thrusting her hips in earnest, desperate for release. As he felt her get close, he slipped in a third finger and reached under her with his right hand, rubbing the hard little bud he found within her slick folds.

Alex came undone at that point. Her orgasm exploded deep within her, causing her to cry out in relief.

Lucian smiled, thrilled at her response to his touch. He waited until her body had starting relaxing before he withdrew his fingers. Then he pulled her back up against the front of his body. He caught her hard, pebble like nipples between his thumb and forefinger, pulling and twisting them lightly, causing her to catch her breath. But he himself nearly moaned when she grabbed his left hand, and brought his still wet fingers to her mouth. He watched as she slowly sucked each finger he had buried deep inside her, tasting herself on his skin.

When she had finished, she turned to face him. She moved forward, brushing her lips across his, the fingers of her right hand blazing a trail down his chest. She raked her nails across his nipples, as she caught his bottom lip in her teeth. She sucked lightly on his lip while her hand continued it's downward descent, brushing against his erect member. She ran her fingers along the smooth skin stretched taut across the length of his cock, shivering at the thought of its' immense size thrusting inside her. She released his lip and plunged her tongue into his mouth as she raked sharp nails along his tight sac. He groaned into her mouth, unable to control himself.

She pulled away and grinned, then playfully tugged on his nipple as she urged him to lie back on the bed. When he was spread out before her, threw her leg over his chest and straddled him, feeling the tip of his member brush against her buttocks as she settled into place. She let lowered her head, letting her long, red-gold hair enveloped them, as she planted small kisses and gentle licks along his chest. When she reached his hard, brown nipples she suckled on them, paying as much attention to one as she did the other. She moved down slowly, kissing, licking and nibbling at his muscled torso and abdomen.

When she reached his hard cock, she looked up at him briefly before she leaned down and lightly sucked on the head of his organ. He held his breath as she lightly grazed her teeth over his sensitive head. Then without warning, she slid her warm, moist lips over the tip and down his entire length. His hips came up off the bed when he felt himself buried deep in her throat. Somehow, she had managed to take all of him in. He watched in amazement when her high cheekbones hollowed as she began sucking on him while her full lips slid back up his member. When she reached the tip, she licked the head slowly, deliberately. Then she ran her tongue underneath the head and down the ridge of skin that extended from the tip down to his sac. She repeated the motion bringing her full mouth back to the top of his cock before she slipped his head into her mouth and again consumed him. She began moving her mouth up and down his length, moving a little faster and sucking a little harder with each repetition.

Lucian was at a point where he was ready to spend himself deep in her throat. She had brought him close to completion, and that wouldn't do. He lifted his upper body up off the bed, and reached out, gently grasping her head in his hands, pulling her succulent mouth off of him before he exploded.

Alex looked up, surprised and disappointed that she wasn't being given the opportunity to finish what she had started. But when she caught sight of the searing look in Lucian's eyes, she shivered, his intense gaze causing a ripple of excitement to run through her body.

Lucian noted her eyes were dazed and unfocused. He quickly looked her over, noticing her already full lips were slightly swollen, her nipples were rock hard and extended and he could see where her juices were running down the inside of her thigh. With a growl, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her so that she was facing him, positioned to sit in his lap. Hands still on her hips, he lifted her slightly, then impaled her on his cock as he brought her down in one swift movement. Her legs wrapped around his waist as his member thrust inside her. She gasped outloud as he filled her; she could feel him so deep inside her, touching places she never knew existed.

Lucian stilled himself, as he allowed her passage to adjust to size. She was so tight, so hot he wasn't sure he could hold out much longer. He moved one hand so that it cupped her check as he looked into her eyes. He brushed a thumb across her soft skin, and brought his mouth down to capture hers. She tasted so sweet, and he was afraid that he wouldn't ever be able to get enough of her. She started grinding against him, rubbing her hard bud against his crotch. He continued ravaging her mouth as he grasped her waist again and began moving her up and down on his member.

She broke away from his kiss with a request, "Harder, Lucian, please, " she pleaded.

With a growl, Lucian began thrusting harder and faster. Alex leaned down and, caught up in the moment, bit him; not realizing her canines had extended on their own. Lucian felt a jolt of pleasure when she sunk her teeth into his neck, so much so that he nearly came into her right then. But Alex hadn't reached her plateau yet, so he held himself in check, reveling in the feel of her mouth as she sucked on his neck.

She was so close, and Alex had no control over her actions. She couldn't keep herself from biting Lucian and sucking on him as he pounded into her, each thrust bringing her closer. She was almost there, when she realized what she wanted.

Pulling her teeth out of Lucian's skin, she whispered in his ear, "Bite me."

Lucian nearly stopped, when she made spoke. What she was asking was common between lycans when they mated; for when werewolves mated they did so for life. And biting during sex left a mark that would show all other lycans that they belonged to each other. Alex had no way of knowing this, so he knew her request was just a physical need. But he also knew that if he truly bit her, as she had bitten him, the mark would remain. This was something he suddenly, and desperately knew he wanted to do. To mark this tempestuous, head strong, beautiful woman as his own. But Alex wouldn't like it. In fact, once she found out what the marks meant, she would be furious that he done this without first explaining it to her.

Damning them both, he sank his canines deep into the curve of her neck just as he thrust himself deep inside her. Alex screamed as her climax tore out of her and Lucian joined her when her tight sheath convulsed tightly around him. Alex, unknowing of what she was doing, bit back down into the wound she had left only moments ago; joining the two of them in ways she was completely unaware of.


	46. Chapter 45 Knowing Where You Stand

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: Knowing Where You Stand**

_Subway Tunnels_

Lucian held her there in his lap, savoring the feel of her in his arms. His head rested against her chest and he could hear her heart beating. He stayed there listening to it until it slowly regained its normal rhythm. Her head had fallen so that it rested against his shoulder, her fingers drawing lazy circles on his back. He would enjoy this moment as long as he could, for he knew this was about to end.

"Lucian," Alex murmured.

"Yes, Princess," he replied.

"Do you have any chocolate around here?" she asked her voice groggy and sleepy.

Lucian laughed outloud, something he found himself doing quite often since Alex had been around. "I don't believe we do," he said kissing her shoulder.

"Damn the bad luck," she said, her movements sluggish, her words spoken softly.

"Are you hungry," he asked.

Forcing herself to sit up, she looked at him. Her eyes were heavy- lidded, her voice sexy. "No, not really, chocolate just sounded good," she said with a grin.

Lucian watched her as she crawled out of his lap, and laid down on the pillow beside him. He stretched out behind her, pulling her close against his chest.

"Hmmm, that feels good," she murmured, snuggling into his arms.

Lucian dropped a kiss on her head, wishing they could stay like this forever, but knowing they had a few hours at best. He felt her body begin to relax in his arms; she was falling asleep. A few moments later, her breathing slowed down and her body went limp as she finally drifted off. He spent the rest of the night, holding her and watching her as she slept.

He noticed things that he put away in his memory banks, in hopes of recalling them at a later time, when it wouldn't hurt so much. Things like, she had a tendency to steal the covers and she slept curled up on her side in a ball, with her hands underneath her cheek. He would also remember that she loved chocolate, liked to laugh, and had a quick wit. He sniffed deeply of her, smelling her own unique scent. It was like cinnamon and vanilla, a little spicy and a little sweet, just like she was.

Finally, after having let her sleep for a couple of hours, the time had come. He disliked the thought of what he was about to do, but knowing it had to be done, he moved her out of his arms, just roughly enough to wake her up.

Alex came awake with a jolt. She rolled over, reaching out for Lucian but found herself alone in the bed. She sat up and looked around the room. She located him at the end of the bed, pulling on his pants.

"Are you running to the store, cause if so, I'll take some Reece's Peanut Butter Cups," she quipped, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Lucian bent over and picked up his shirt, not daring to look her in the eye. "Actually, I have some business to attend to."

"It must be close to four o'clock in the morning, what kind of business could you possibly be doing at this ungodly hour?" she asked with a yawn.

Lucian looked at her closely, taking in the sleep tousled hair that fell to her waist, the strawberry tipped breasts peeking out from between those red-gold strands of silk, and as she stretched he caught a glimpse of the little gold hoop he had come to love.

Patting the bed beside her, Alex spoke up, "Why don't you come on back to bed. Surely whatever it is you have to do can wait until the sun comes up, can't it?" she asked invitingly.

"A pack leaders duties never end," he told her. "I have a lycan that has requested a bit of my time."

Surprised, Alex got up out of bed, and walked over to him, butt naked. Taking the shirt from him, she held it out so that he could slide his arms in.

"You're serious?" she asked him, confused.

Lucian finally glanced at her, and hated the look he saw in he eyes. "Yes. Cherise has asked that I come and comfort her now that the vampire threat has been eliminated," he told her.

"Who the hell is Cherise, and just what kind of comfort is she expecting from you at this time of the morning?" she asked, anger beginning to replacing the concern in her voice.

He began buttoning up his shirt before he finally answered her. "She's a member of my pack. She has been, lost since her mate died during the first battle with the vampires. As alpha, it is my duty to help her cope in any way I can, " he explained.

"Just what does that mean? How are you going to help her cope? Are we talking about an all night crying/consoling session, or a hey baby let's get naked kinda thing?" she demanded.

"Whatever it takes," Lucian calmly clarified.

Pissed beyond belief, she began pacing. Lucian watched her magnificent body as it moved around the room, when suddenly she stopped right before him.

"So I take it monogamy isn't practiced within the pack?" she finally asked him.

He detested himself for putting the pained look he found in her eyes; but he had to finish this. "Make no mistake, lycans mate for life. Once a female is marked by her mate, they are no longer allowed to be with other males. But, an unmarked female is shared by all in the pack."

"And me, am I to be shared with the pack?" she asked confused and disgusted.

Lucian smirked, "No, the pack will know you're mine," he told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked nervously.

"I marked you as my mate, when I bit you?' he told her.

Alex ran over to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Sure enough, there were bite marks in the curve of her neck. But she wasn't surprised; she knew they would be there. After all, she was the one that had asked him to bite her.

Catching a glimpse of him in the mirror she asked, "Are these the marks you were referring to?"

"But of course," he replied.

"So what, the world's most erotic hickey marks me as your territory?" she retorted. "What happens when it fades away, am I considered fair game then?"

With a sigh, he said, "It will never fade away."

Turning to face him, she yelled, "You mean, this will always be here, just because you bit me!? Not believing him, she ran back over to the mirror. She carefully looked over the other side of her neck. She found the two bite marks he had previously left on her; they were faint, but discernable.

"Look, these marks have faded!" she pointed out to him.

"Alexandra," he replied impatiently. "I don't have time for this. Listen to me closely, for I will explain this to you one time only. You asked me to bite you while we were having sex. When I complied, you climaxed and then bit me, causing the same reaction. This is an age old mating ritual amongst the lycans. Now, as my mate, I expect you to respect our customs and laws. I will be back once Cherise no longer requires my help," he told her turning to leave.

"Hang on there, just a minute, pops," Alex said moving in front of the bathroom door. "The last time I looked, you were no longer a lycan, and neither was I. We're hybrids remember. I'm not a member of your pack."

"Enough!" Lucian yelled angrily. "I have been lycan for more than six hundred years, and a hybrid for less than a week. During this time I have always been the leader of this pack. Don't forget, you are part lycan as well, and that part of us has mated. There is no use denying it, you can't change what has happened. I suggest you accept it, in fact I order you to remain here until I return. Is that understood?"

Furious at his condescending behavior, Alex stalked out of the bathroom and over to his dresser. Yanking open drawers, she pulled out one of his shirts and a pair of his pants. Throwing them on the bed, she then went in search of her shoes. Finding them over by the chair, she picked them up and took them to the bed where she began to dress.

Lucian watched as she jerked on his clothes, not caring that she didn't have on any undergarments. Anger and distress could be detected in each and every movement. After she pulled on her shoes and tied them, she stood up and looked over at him.

"You knew all along what you were doing, didn't you?" she asked him, her voice steady but anger lacing every syllable she uttered.

"Yes," he answered.

"And you made that decision by yourself, without even considering what I may want," she stated quietly.

Lucian could feel something inside him break when she spoke. But, he knew she hated what she had become, what he had made her. If she were to stay, she would come to detest her life with them, and everyone within the pack. Eventually she would come to hate him too.

"I did what I thought best…for everyone," Lucian told her honestly.

Alex stood there for a moment, before answering, "Fine, now I need to do what I think is best…for me."

Then, with tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she turned and walked out the bedroom door.

Lucian watched her leave, never making a move to stop her. Once he was certain she was gone, he walked over to the chair and reached down into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number.

"She's on her way," he spoke tersely into the phone.

Then, without waiting for a reply, he ended the connection and threw the phone against the wall, destroying it completely.


	47. Chapter 46 Moving On

**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: Moving On**

_Private Airstrip Outside of Budapest_

Aaron stood outside the plane, watching for Alex. The moment he received Lucian's call he had advised the men that Alex would be joining them on their flight home.

Sure enough, a cab was soon pulling up to the plane; Lucian had kept his word. The rear car door opened, and Alex stepped out. He saw that she was wearing men's clothing; but both pants and shirt were big on her. She leaned into the front passenger window, obviously speaking to the cabbie; then she straightened up and walked over to where Aaron stood.

"I don't have any money on me right now. Can you cover this for me?" she asked proudly.

"It would be my pleasure," he replied, before walking over to pay the cab driver.

She stayed where she was, waiting for Aaron to finish. When he walked back over to her, she noticed he was smiling.

"I'm glad you decided to come back with us," he told her.

Alex took a deep breath before she answered. "I haven't decided just how I feel yet."

Then she turned her back on him and made her way over to the private plane the Council had sent for them.

Aaron watched her walk away, her shoulders were slumped, and her demeanor was withdrawn. She wasn't going to confide in him, which really didn't surprise him. It was the sadness he detected in her voice that had him concerned. He hoped they had made the right decision. Then knowing there wasn't much he could do about it now, he followed her into the plane.

Once inside, Alex looked about until she found a seat to herself. The guys greeted her as she walked down the aisle, but all she could do was offer them a small smile. As soon as she was seated, she pulled down the shade covering the window and leaned her seat back as far as it would go. She closed her eyes, and prayed she would fall asleep.

But her solitude was soon interrupted, as she felt someone come sit beside her. She knew, without even looking, that it was Malcolm.

"I want to be alone right now," she warned him.

"I understand luv," he responded. "I just wanted to welcome you back."

Alex didn't bother replying. She just sat there as the tears she had been trying to keep at bay, began slipping between her long lashes.

Malcolm, seeing her tears, reached out to capture one as it slid down her cheek. But without even opening an eye Alex seemed to know his intent, for she lifted a hand and pushed his fingers away. Malcolm waited a moment, but when she offered no response, he moved back to his seat.

Guilt and remorse tore at him. He had been the one to convince Aaron that Alex would be better off returning to London with them. He also told him that by having an employee of the supernatural persuasion could only help the Council during the next few months. Then, when he had Aaron on his side, they confronted Lucian and somehow managed to persuade him about how unhappy Alex would be if she were to stay with him. But now, seeing how unhappy Alex was, it made him wonder if he had done the right thing.

Alex was left alone for the rest of the trip. No one bothered her with questions, nor did anyone come over and try to make her feel better. By the time they landed in London, she was feeling a little better. While the plane was taxiing up to the gate, she walked over and sat next to Aaron.

"So what happens now?" she asked.

"No one here has been apprised of what happened to you while you were in Budapest," he assured her. "I wanted that to be up to you as to whom you confided in and how you were to use these new powers of yours."

"I can't remain with the Council with the way things are Aaron," she told him. "I've seen too much and have become even more. I will never again take an assignment where I will be expected to go in and kill lycans and vampires because the Council deems it so."

Aaron sighed, knowing the Council's current regime had come to an end. Changes needed to be made and new procedures needed to be implemented. He hoped Alex would stay around to help them in this time of conversion.

"I need your help in order to make things better," he told her. "Some major changes need to be made, and I will need you by my side to make sure things are handled correctly."

Alex thought about it for a moment. Technically, she never had to work again a day in her life. Over the last several years, she had earned more a substantial amount of money working for the Council. And thanks to some prudent financial investments, she had an amazing portfolio. But she had to do something, she was never one for just sitting around, she's go stir crazy in less than a week. No, she needed to keep busy. So, she might as well do what she did best. She would take on the bad guys. The only thing different this time around was that she no longer believed the bad guys were only the other species, especially now that she was one of those others. This was her chance to learn more about her abilities and to make things…different.

"Okay, I'll stay," she finally replied. "But know this, I'm not making you any promises. I'll stay as long as I feel things are moving in the right direction. If I no longer believe in what the Council is doing, I will walk away." she informed him in no uncertain terms.

"We'll take what we can get," Aaron answered, relieved with her decision.

Alex nodded, then stood as the aircraft came to a complete halt. "I'm going to take a bath and drown my sorrows in brownies and truffles. I'll give you a call tomorrow," she said as she turned and walked off the plane.


End file.
